Jirachi's Wish
by A-Gallade
Summary: With the prize of any one wish from the King's Jirachi in an obscure tournament where wits count just as much as your Pokémon's battling prowess, the Ocera Conference has the world's attention. But there's more to the Ocera Archipelago that meets the eye, attracing more than just your average Pokémon Trainer to deviate the every move of Ash and his friends. Ash x Harem.
1. Prologue

**Hey, ho, Pokémon Fanfiction community! **

**After not deleting my last story from about a year ago titled **_**The Sinnoh Battle Frontier **_**I've kind of decided to begin writing again. If you do so happen to remember my last fanfic, then, in comparison, this should be a little more fast-paced. **

**Anyway, to conclude, I seriously hope you enjoy my fanfic, and that it is up to your standards, whatever they may be. Also, a very big thank you to Blaaaziken who gave me a much needed kick-start on writing the story. I wanted to make this story kind of like a tournament fanfiction, but with a little twist. It'll be far different than your everyday generic tournament fanficiton.**

**I chose for the tournament to take place between EP 656 and EP 657 (Basically the end of Diamond and Pearl).**

**So anyway, on with the show!**

* * *

**Jirachi's Wish**

**Chapter 1**

**.:. Prologue .:.**

The awe-inspiring Pokémon world…

One cannot begin to explain the infinite beauty and marvel of our wonderful world, home to a myriad of astounding creatures that thrive on the planet, simply known as Pokémon. Whether you are deep underwater, following the ocean's currents, or soaring high in the sky, gliding in-between the clouds, no doubt Pokémon will be nearby. There are still hundreds, maybe even thousands of Pokémon that are yet to be discovered in our mysterious, yet exciting world. Though counting them may seem like an arduous task, there are many a Trainer who has dedicated their lives to finding and researching these captivating creatures.

Mankind and Pokémon have bonded since the dawn of time, helping each other in times of need and thanking the other with the simple bond known as friendship. Pokémon and humans live and work together as friends, battle partners, sometimes rivals, taking part in exhilarating battles and accomplishing challenging feats whilst gaining more and more experience. People and Pokémon share the world harmoniously and in peace, helping each other every day in many different ways, cumulating for a brighter and better tomorrow.

However, there are those who exploit some of the most ferocious Pokémon there are to achieve goals related to greed, domination, control, and most of all, power. Evil gangs have long wished to control the Pokémon that have shaped and created our universe for their own evil intentions. Often named the 'scourge of our world', these evil organisations will stop at nothing to gain total control of the Pokémon in our world to fulfil their own egotistical ambitions. Some legendary Pokémon have been held at the hands of these evil gangs, but thankfully, justice has prevailed each and every time.

Stories of legendary Pokémon have been passed down from generation to generation. Mystifying tales about some of the world's rarest Pokémon, like the undersea Kyogre or the colossal Groudon, have never failed to send a young Trainer's heart into an untameable frenzy. Legendary Pokémon have created the very world in which we exist in, shaping the beautiful forests where many Pokémon make their homes, designing the mountain's rough terrain, and even the snowy passages where humans rarely tread; all of which has been created in the eyes of Pokémon. Though legendary Pokémon are hard to come across, Trainers never hesitate to mention the indescribable feeling of witnessing Ho-oh fly across the sky, leaving a trail of rainbow-like dust or when an Entei charges through a myriad of flames like a soldier ready for battle.

Communities have been brought together by the arrival or capture of legendary Pokémon; an unmistakable feeling, as described by many Trainers, flourishes in the air, almost rhythmically as the smiles beam from every angle and the parties rage on 'til the early hours of the following morning. No place in the Pokémon World fits this description better than the capital of the Ocera Archipelago, Rosenvine City.

Many Trainers cannot fathom the possibility of meeting a legendary Pokémon, or even the first thing they'd do with one – an instance that found itself at the feet of the King of the Ocera Archipelago, a group of brimming islands where prosperity and culture flourished. Leading the planet in technology and modernising the Pokémon World, the capital, Rosenvine City, stands at the forefront of the future, and it is there where the King resides.

What is the legendary Pokémon, you may ask? The provider of wishes, the star that brightens the night sky, the Wish Pokémon, Jirachi.

Although astounded himself by the sudden arrival of the legendary Pokémon, the King chose to capture it, not using its power for himself, though. Unselfishly, the King announced a Pokémon Tournament to be held in the Ocera Archipelago with the winner of the competition allowed any one wish from the King's Jirachi. This was no normal Pokémon Tournament, though. Pokémon Trainers of all kind would have the opportunity in competing against each other in a range of challenges, not just restricting themselves to Pokémon battles.

With a new, interesting tournament on the way, the prize of any one wish from the King's Jirachi, and anybody allowed to compete in the tournament, regardless of status or Trainer ability, a cluster of responses arrived at the front door of the King. Trainers gathered from all over the world, training restlessly, keeping in mind what to expect from the world leaders of technology. They prepared for the unexpected, knowing deep-down that they would be pitted against other Pokémon Trainers in obscure challenges, testing their teamwork with their Pokémon, how far their wits would stretch, and the power of the their Pokémon. TV commercials, newspaper articles and posters covered the world, detailing this obscure tournament held by the King. A week before the tournament began, with the excitement building up around the world, and all eyes focused on the Ocera Archipelago, many Trainers began to understand the difficulty of such a tournament where the unexpected is inevitable. Knowing this, though, many Trainers pumped themselves, knowing that winning such a tournament would not only give them anything they have ever dreamed for, but would give them the title of one of the world's greatest Pokémon Trainers.

One such trainer who aspires this is our very own Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, who along with his partner, Pikachu, has experienced the true feeling of what it is like to battle side by side with some of the most extraordinary creatures ever to walk the planet. Travelling alongside his long-time friends, Brock and Dawn, he seeks to gain further knowledge and understanding about our wonderful and mysterious world. Adventuring to different regions and collecting gym badges, Ash works with his friends to compete in the tournaments where he one day hopes to become a Pokémon Master, like the many figures that have inspired him throughout his journey. In fact, we join the young prodigy shortly after leaving the Lily of the Valley Conference and as he enters the serene town in the south of the Sinnoh region, just in time for the Annual Twinleaf Town Festival of the Stars.

* * *

**So there's the prologue to what should be a very long fanfic. I do hope that you've enjoyed, and the second chapter should come the next day, providing, of course, that I've completed the finishing touches to it. **

**Also, this will be a Ash x Harem story. In a few chapters time, I'll be adding a poll on my profile as to who you'd like to vote for, but suggestions are always welcome in reviews or PMs.**

**Anyhow, thank you so much for reading, and please do review (even if it's just a few words, I'm very easily excitable). Furthermore, I feel like I should add a kind of a 'Question of the chapter' kind of thing. So…**

* * *

**QOTC: Consider this: You're a Pokémon Trainer in the Pokémon World and you find yourself a Jirachi. Aside from wishing for a million wishes, what would you wish for and why? Do keep in mind of the consequences of wishing for some things, too.**

* * *

**Anyhow, see you in a day!**


	2. Twinleaf's Champion

**Well, here we go! Chapter 2 of my story.**

**I do hope you enjoyed that mini-prologue of mine, but here's the main core of the beast. Also, a little heads-up, some of the potential harem characters will get there little moments with Ash before I upload the poll, so yeah. For this chapter, it'll be one shipping in particular that gets its time in the sun. **

**This is going to be a long chapter, just short of 8k words, but typically, each chapter length would be about 5k~~**

**Anyhow, do enjoy.**

* * *

**Jirachi's Wish**

**Chapter 2**

**.:. Twinleaf's Champion .:.**

"You've been waiting all year for it, folks. Highly acclaimed throughout the region and home to one of the most competitive Tag Battle tournaments in the world, I welcome you to the annual Twinleaf Town Festival of the Stars!"

It was approaching night in the southernmost town of the beautiful Sinnoh region, the time of day when the quaint town erupts into a festive community where a myriad of Trainers take to the stage with their finest Pokémon, and a flurry of stalls and shops sell the rarest of charms and merchandise, sparking bright lights for the collectors amongst the countless number of people that flooded the jubilant streets of Twinleaf. Multi-coloured lanterns hung from the sky's invisible tether, stretching from building to building, illuminating the main streets in Twinleaf Town and the city square where people from all sides of the grand region of Sinnoh came to enjoy the annual Twinleaf Festival.

Amidst the lit-up streets of Twinleaf Town, in between the stalls where freshly cooked Octillery Snacks and rice balls permeated a luscious smell that flurried amongst the passing townsfolk, a young boy steadily walked with his Pikachu resting comfortably on his shoulder, slaloming his way through the bustling crowds and rare Pokémon that scattered the streets.

"Here we are, Pikachu! The Twinleaf Festival of the Stars…" awed Ash Ketchum with the widest of smiles upon his face. Walking by his sides were Dawn and Brock, eyeing the magnificence and marvel of the efforts of the Twinleaf Town residents.

"Talk about a festival!" Brock happily remarked, casting his head upwards, gazing at the vastly coloured lanterns as they contrasted with the silver stars. "So what do you think the Star Festival is all about, Ash?" he asked with obvious curiosity.

"Beats me, but hey, if there's a Tag Battle Tournament involved, count me in!" he cheered with unparalleled enthusiasm. He stood for a second, following Brock's eyes as he gazed up at the night sky, taking an inspiring look at the silver ball of wonderment that floated almost magically in the night sky like a queen in her starry realm. "'A Festival for the Stars', eh?"

"The Star Festival is dedicated to a single special star that comes shooting past the sky this day ever year!" giggled the blue-haired girl. "It may seem a bit much for just a single star, but when you see it, you'll understand just how magical it looks!" she explained with her eyes dazzling as she also gazed at the countless constellations that covered the night sky. "As for the Tag Battle, I guess that's just a little thing they added on the end."

"Well, beings that the boat is arriving at the early hours of tomorrow morning, why don't we have some fun?" Brock suggested, standing in between his two friends. "Not to mention it'd be nice to see you battle for the last time here in Sinnoh, Ash."

"Brock's right, Ash, let's have some fun!" cheered Dawn from behind, taking hold of Ash's warm hand and pulling him through the dense crowds with a wide, child-like grin smothered on her face. She flew through the crowds with an ecstatic smile smothered on her face, laughing cutely with the raven-haired boy struggling to keep up from behind.

Contrasting to earlier, the Co-ordinator wasn't having such a good day. It was yet another sleepless night for Dawn Berlitz. Not even for a second could she simply close her eyes and drift away, for the ever-present thought of Ash departing kept her mind in constant pandemonium. Before she knew it, the evening beckoned and she found herself strolling alongside her friends around her hometown.

"Attention, ladies and gentleman, signups for this year's Tag Battle Tournament have just begun! Sign up at the Town Square within the next thirty minutes to take part in the grand Tournament and battle to win Twinleaf Town's coveted trophy – but that's not all, no, the lucky couple to win the Tournament will get to have the honour in battling with a special guest and none other than the Sinnoh Battle Frontier's one and only Tower Tycoon Palmer!" the overexcited announcer proclaimed to the people of Twinleaf Town.

A blast of cheers ruptured from the crowd, the impact sending tremors through the ground as Palmer's name was called out. An ecstatic smile gleamed on Ash's face as he took a quick moment to recall his last fight with Palmer. He had battled the legendary Palmer once before, in fact. Six months ago, he had won the Twinleaf Town Battle Festival where, despite having the type advantage against a Rhyperior, ultimately fell short of beating one of the strongest and most highly acclaimed Pokémon Trainers to have ever been born.

"Palmer's here, too, eh?" Brock crossed his arms with a grin. "I guess this Tag Battle Tournament is a pretty big thing here in Twinleaf Town."

"You bet! Every year, I'd sign up, but there are always some people who pairs who turn out to be amazing," she explained with a glimmer of awe in her speech. "But, now that I think about it, since Palmer's here, I bet you guys can guess who else will be…"

Ash and Dawn both looked at each other, then to the crowds that surrounded them. Without a word said between them, the trio scanned the people for one particular person – the kind of person who wouldn't hesitate to make his presence known in a place such as the Twinleaf Tag Battle Festival. There was no doubt about it. With a huge name like Palmer around, the person whom the trio were looking out for had to be nearby.

"ASH KETCHUM!" a loud voice echoed across the horizon where an individual sprinted through the crowds, leaving a path of dust behind before stopping just before the raven-haired Trainer. Following shortly behind him, a shorter, chestnut-haired boy stood beside his accomplice, out of breath and panting restlessly.

"Barry, Kenny, surprised to see you-"

"What do you mean, 'surpised to see you here'? This is the Tag Battle Tournament, Ash! Never would have thought after such a short time following the Sinnoh League would I get the chance to wipe the floor with you, but I'll take every opportunity I can to let you know that I'm the better Trainer!" Barry exclaimed without a single hesitation, thrusting his finger towards Ash's face before brushing his wild, blonde hair back with a single comb of his hand. "Besides, my dad, none other than Palmer of the Sinnoh Battle Frontier will be here, too!"

"So I've heard! Then we'll see just how strong you are on your home turf," Ash replied back with just as much enthusiasm. "And hey, it's great to see you, too, Kenny!" happily greeted the Pokémon Trainer.

"It's nice to see you guys, too!" he said with a beaming smile, focusing mostly on Dawn. "I take it you guys are all taking part in the Tag Battle Tournament, right?"

"Yep! In fact, this'll be the last big thing we do in Sinnoh before we take off," Brock explained. "Much later this evening, our boat will arrive, and then it's straight back to the Kanto region and home."

The crystal blue pupils that rested within Dawn's bright eyes shrank exponentially. She didn't want to be reminded that Ash's departure was imminent. She froze with a dazed expression trapped on her face, as if reality was looming in a different dimension.

_This Festival… and that's it_, her innermost thoughts spoke to her. _He's gone…_

"Dawn…!" Almost immediately, Dawn was sent flying back to reality with a hand waving in front of her eyes. "Geez, Dawn, just try and stay awake for what I have to say," Kenny remarked, smirking with his head pompously held upwards. "You have heard about the rule change this year, correct?"

"Rule change?" Dawn blurted, throwing her head in front of Kenny's.

"Err, yeah, rule change," stuttered Kenny, turning away ever so slightly to hide the tint of red that smudged his cheeks. "In previous years, Trainers were randomly paired up, but this year, they've made it so that Trainers now select their partners. I don't know, something to do with the whole idea that the battles will have more excitement in them – more chemistry, they say," Kenny explained, turning his eyes to a large Empoleon that captured his gaze. "But, you know, I consider this to be a good thing, after all, we can get paired with people who we've known for quite a while," added the Co-ordinator, gazing directly into Dawn's eyes with a half-asked smile.

"I guess you're right," Dawn said, not cottoning on to Kenny's hints.

_Fate has its funny ways, but now I can pair up with Ash_, Dawn thought to herself, recalling her contagious smile in an instant.

"So…Dawn," Kenny exclaimed, taking a giant step forward to Dawn's side, subtly pushing Ash out of the way. "I mentioned that we can pick our own pairs for this tournament, so what do you say you and I pair up together?" A bright light shone in his eye as he gazed Dawn down, slowly opening his mouth, shooting a charming, boyish smile at the young girl. "It'd be just like a Co-ordinator Tag Team! And besides, consider us made even, beings that you declined my offer to travel with me," he reminded.

She felt somewhat cornered by Kenny's bombardment of information. Almost ominously, Kenny gradually moved closer and closer to Dawn, anticipating a reply. "Well, I…"

"Okay, Ash, now that Kenny's going with Dawn, I will be willing to work alongside you this time. No need to thank me, but I'll see it through and through that the two of us make it into the final! You've got nothing to worry about!" Barry reasoned with a high amount of enthusiasm. "As for Kenny and Dawn, pff, we'll beat them."

"Oh yeah? You're forgetting we've got the number two Co-ordinator in the whole of Sinnoh on our team!"

"Co-ordinating in a Pokémon Battle?! Real smart, Kenny! You may as well be a figure skater-"

"Hey! I didn't agree to anything!" Dawn blurted. "And besides, I already asked Ash if I could pair up with him, in case the rules changed, and he said yes," she explained to the two boys in arguing in front of her. "Isn't _that_ right, Ash?"

Ash felt his travelling companion almost leap to his right in a single stride, clinging on to him with her arm wrapped around his. She looked up at him with her hopeful eyes praying that he would say 'yes'.

"Ermm…yeah, sorry guys. Dawn kinda did ask me a while ago," he replied, sheepishly scratching his head.

"Sorry, Kenny, but perhaps some other time we'll pair up," she apologised with a heartfelt expression firing a blast of pink onto Kenny's cheeks.

"Err, it's really okay, Dawn, really," he stuttered, facing away gingerly, allowing time for his blush to settle down. "But, say, I really got to be going now. You guys better sign up soon - anyway, so I'll catch up with you guys later, kay? See you!" Before the group could even give their farewells, he dashed off into the crowd with his head held low.

Stunned, the remaining members of the group looked around in awkward confusion before regaining their composure. "Well, then, what are we waiting for? Let's get signed up!"

* * *

Fireworks sounded in the background as the group of Trainers marched towards the very centre of Twinleaf Town. Explosion after explosion of colour dispersed before dissolving in the midnight-blue sky, showering down a plethora of coloured embers onto the ground.

They stood before the Town Square; an area in Twinleaf most famous for the dozens of Pokémon Trainers that gathered every once in a while on special occasions to show the rest of Twinleaf their remarkably trained Pokémon, battling with one another whilst the exultant crowd watches on with the uncertainty of who's going to win sending them into a thrill. Today was no different; countless cheers cracked the sky's sound barrier, each cheer dedicated to the two Pokémon in the centre of the battle taking place.

"Looks like a practice battle is going on," Brock theorised, observing the masses of people that gathered around the battlefield with the unmistakable feeling of excitement flourishing in the air. On one side of the battlefield, the quartet recognised the Pokémon to be a Gardevoir, hovering majestically in front of her inexperienced, yet confident Trainer with grace and calmness. Her opponent was even more easily recognised by the four travellers; a Torterra, fiercely stomping its heavy feet against the ground whilst it's intimidating eyes, encircled within black rings, scanned the on looking audience with immeasurable anticipation.

"A battle," Dawn blissfully spoke with her eyes gleaming with excitement, clasping her hands together, "between a Gardevoir and a Torterra!"

"Well, I guess you can never have enough practice. Perhaps those two are going to pair up with one another for the actual tournament," Barry knowledgably said.

"But it looks like it's been going on for a while," Brock noted, observing how the Torterra in particular continued to pant restlessly after each breath it took. "But with no real type advantage for either Pokémon, I guess this was a close battle."

"Alright, Gardevoir," the Trainer spoke, raising an instructive finger in Torterra's direction. "Finish off Torterra with Psychic!"

"_Gardevoooirr_!" The Gardevoir that stood before the crowd engulfed her whole body in a thick, fuchsia light before fiercely shooting out an asperous bolt of psychic power from her body, aimed straight at her target. The Torterra opposite her entered its battling stance, inclining its head before fixating its heavy, stone-plated feet against the ground. As the Continent Pokémon readied itself for the attack, the potent jolt of psychic energy pierced the air at great speed, finding its target within a split-second, enveloping the dual-type in a thick, jagged overcoat, rendering the Torterra unable to battle. The crowd erupted before the two Trainers with a giant applause; the myriad of Pokémon fans cheering the winner's name like a chorus.

"Torterra is unable to battle, Gardevoir is the winner!" announced the referee of the battle, holding a hand in the direction of the Gardevoir's Trainer, who merely accepted the applause with a modest smile before embracing her Pokémon with a loving hug.

"That power…" murmured Ash, observing how the Gardevoir looked so harmless on the outside. "I don't think I've ever seen a Gardevoir like that before…"

"Oh, man, that was so totally awesome! She's still got much to learn, though," Barry gloatingly said, heaving his heavy head upwards with a belittling smile in Ash's direction. "Trust me, if that's the best competition this year has to offer then I have a good reason to believe that this year is my year!"

"But you still need a partner, Barry. I don't think even you can win one versus two," Dawn reminded, resting a hand against her hip. "And, Brock, what about you?" A short moment passed before the three Pokémon Trainers looked up at the older individual.

"Say, you guys, I think I'll go have a look around," Brock slowly said, his eyes drifting towards a rather attractive-looking girl that stole his gaze. "I'll be back for the tournament!" he blurted before dashing at a frantic speed towards the girl.

Barry, Dawn and Ash all sighed in unison. "I think he means to say that he's going to find a cute girl to pair up with," Dawn explained to the two boys, both acknowledging Brock's antics.

"Why does it have to be me who doesn't end up with a partner?! How could the son of Palmer be like this? I swear, if I don't get a partner in the next fifteen minutes, I'm going to fine every last one of you!" he shouted, angrily crashing his feet against the ground, obviously mimicking the mannerisms of the Torterra from earlier.

"Ermm, excuse me…" a timid voice crept to the ears of the three individuals as they immediately turned their heads to the right, then looking down to see a small girl approach them. She shyly glanced at each one of the Trainers, then to Barry, twirling a finger within her hair. "But did you say you were related to Palmer?"

A sudden beaming smile crossed Barry's face. "If you're talking about Palmer, none other than the Tower Tycoon of the Sinnoh Battle Frontier, then yes, I just so happen to be his son," Barry explained with his grin frightening the young child. "Impressed?" he asked, opening an eye in the girl's direction.

"He really knows how to milk it, doesn't he?" Ash sweat dropped.

"Hey, aren't you the Gardevoir Trainer from before?" Dawn asked, leaning over 'til she was about the same height as the younger girl.

"I sure am," she beamed with the most innocent of voices, retaining a modest grin. "My name's Fleur, and my Gardevoir was my first ever Pokémon!" she explained as the Psychic-type wondered over to the congregation. She stood by the side of Pikachu and Piplup, who both galvanised at the incredible beauty of the Embrace Pokémon, watching as the Pokémon twirled with its silk-like gown swaying with the gentle breeze, and its motherly smile that watched over the two smaller Pokémon.

"Well I'm Barry, son of the great Palmer!" Barry boasted.

"My name's Dawn, and I'm a Co-ordinator."

"And I'm Ash from Pallet Town!"

Immediately after getting acquainted, Fleur's eyes shot open, her eyelashes boasting her steel-grey eyes that immediately shot themselves in the direction of Ash and Dawn. "Have I seen you two before from somewhere?" she questioned to herself, pointing at Ash and Dawn with a curious finger. The fixated smile on her face began to lengthen as time passed, with Ash and Dawn frozen still; feeling particularly uncomfortable and uneasy at the look Fleur gazed at them with. "I know I've seen you two from somewhere, but I just can't think where."

"Well, I… err took part in the Grand Festival just a few weeks ago, and Ash was in the Sinnoh League," she nervously replied to the little girl, not wanting to sound arrogant in any sense of the word.

"Of course!" the girl's eye's sparkled with enlightenment. "You're Ash Ketchum, and you came in the Top Four after losing against Tobias! And you're Dawn Berlitz, and you came second in the Grand Festival! You two are famous!" she squealed, jumping up and down with her cheery expression brightening the atmosphere around her. "Can I just say; you two are the greatest! I've seen you all over the newspapers together, all over Co-ordinator's weekly; just about everything!" she added. "Not to mention, you two do make quite a cute couple together," she cheekily remarked, focusing her grin in Dawn's direction.

Dawn's sapphire eyes enlarged in an instant, slowly and timidly turning into Ash's direction, only to find he was doing the same. Immediately pulling back upon feeling an explosion of red invade their cheeks, they both retracted their glances, Ash readjusting his cap to cover his brightened cheeks, and Dawn looking down at the ground with her hair shadowing her dilated eyes.

Dawn shook with a wave of embarrassment flowing through her. "Oh, erm, thank y-"

"What about me?! I'm famous, too!" Barry shouted, stomping the ground in the midst of his tantrum. "In fact, you'll be seeing me crushing my opponent in the final of today's Battle Festival!"

"The Battle Festival?! That's what my Gardevoir and I are taking part in!" she said, wrapping her arms around the floating Pokémon, nuzzling her head into its soft, silky skin.

"_Gardevoooiirr_!" Gardevoir cried out, it's rhythmic voice surging a mesmerising chime through the Trainer's bodies as she placed a friendly arm around Fleur.

"Sorry, kid, but there's a height requirement," Barry joked, tauntingly patting the annoyed kid on her head. "And besides, you've gotta beat some of the heavyweights first, like me, for example. What are you, nineteen years old?"

"I'm only ten, you know?" she replied with an expressionless face. "But me and my Gardevoir have been training extra hard for today!" she chimed with a grin. "Hey, you know how you said you were Palmer's son…then…does that make you the Trainer who lost in the third round of the Sinnoh League?" she asked with the grin on Barry's face slowly morphing into a rather annoyed expression.

"…Yes…" Barry slowly said in an impatient tone.

"So are you the one who got wiped out by the purple-haired kid?" she asked innocently.

"What is wrong with you people?! It takes huge amounts of skill to qualify for the Sinnoh League, let alone place in the Top Sixteen! Besides, Paul got lucky if you ask me, and I'll be sure to prove it tonight in today's Battle Festival!" Barry blurted, startling the little girl.

"Hm, in that case," she reached into her pocket, ripping out a Pokéball and holding it out in front of herself with a confident smirk, "what do you think about you and me pairing up?" she winked. "Would you care to accept my offer?" she formally asked. "You do need a partner, right?"

Barry took a moment, considering the girl's offer. "Fine," Barry breathed. "But if you screw this up, I'm going to have to fine you!"

"Don't worry about me," she cutely remarked.

"Attention, everyone. The signups for the Tag Battle Tournament will remain open for the next fifteen minutes."

* * *

"Okay, ladies and gentleman, it's the moment we've all been waiting for. The first round of the Tag Battle Festival will be commencing in little less than a few minutes, but first, I will announce the two couples that will fight for a place in the second round." A brief moment passed before the recognisable voice of the announcer was heard again. "Okay, so the first Battle of the first round will be a Tag Battle between Barry and Fleur against Ash and Dawn! Wishing both couples the best of luck, please report to battlefield to commence the tournament."

"Trust my luck," groaned Ash as he trudged his way over, walking alongside Dawn. "Barry and Fleur in the first round…"

True to his word, Brock did find a partner – a female partner, at that. Though she looked slightly grossed out by him, she looked as if she'd been battling for a long time.

The Twinleaf Town Square began collecting more and more onlookers as the four Trainers, standing at both sides of the battlefield with their partners, eyed each other with an attempt at unnerving them. A faint wind passed by, the breeze tenderly floating the pink blossoms around Dawn and Ash, standing side by side with their smiles fixed upon their faces.

"Man, it's been a while since we last teamed up like this," Ash told her, turning his auburn eyes in her direction.

Dawn didn't want to admit it, but their last team battle together only felt like yesterday. She smiled, reminiscing vividly of how Ash was always there with his Pikachu to save Piplup whenever he was in danger. "Yeah, it has been a long time," she sighed dreamily. She woke up, back to reality where the first thing she noticed was the large crowd that had been summoned to the centre of Twinleaf. "Wow, there sure are a lot of people here today," Dawn noted, feeling a worrying tension building up in her. "Making me quite nervous, to be honest," she admitted, shuffling herself closer to Ash's side.

Ash noticed, looking down at Dawn with a confident smile. "No need to worry, Dawn," Ash recited, gazing in awe at the giant crowd that gathered before him. A pounding sensation drove against his heart, pumping a wave of adrenalin through his veins, sending his mind into a whirl. "Looks as if all of Twinleaf is here-"

"Hey! If you guys don't hurry up, I'm going to have to fine you!" Barry shouted from the other side of the battlefield.

"You ready, you two?" Fleur asked, gripping a Pokéball in her hand.

"Ready!" Dawn and Ash both replied.

"Then let's start this! Gardevoir, out you come!" she called, tossing a Pokéball from her hand onto the battlefield where it exploded into life, the thick light emerging from the Pokéball morphed into a long, slender Pokémon that hovered above the ground with a feeling of grace and modesty secured in the Zen-like expression on its face.

"Hey, it's that Gardevoir from earlier!"

"Fleur's opponents stand no chance now she's out!"

"Such a cute little girl, and such a powerful Pokémon!" several calls from the crowd dictated with the feeling of sheer anticipation flourishing around them. Fleur glanced at the audience, waving at them with a timid smile, only to receive a few patronising 'aww's in return.

"Fleur's fan base better be ready for what I've got in store! Alright, Empoleon, let's get going!" Barry tore a Pokéball from his belt, hurling it onto the battlefield, landing with a mighty thud. The Pokéball burst onto the scene, revealing a beefy, armoured penguin-like Pokémon that stamped its heavy feet against the battlefield. The Empoleon glanced at the human opponents, clashing its steel-tipped wings together with a heavy clash, glimmering with the shimmering sunlight with the mighty sheen capturing the eyes of the large crowd.

"_Empoleon!_" Empoleon roared with pride, glancing at the Gardevoir to its left with a nod from either Pokémon.

Across the other side of the battlefield, Ash and Dawn eyed their opponents' choices with an adventurous grin.

"Okay, Dawn, let's give them all we've got!" Ash cheered. "Pikachu, I choose you!" From behind Ash, the Electric-type valiantly charge onto the battlefield, sparking miniature bolts of energy from the red spots on its cheeks. Despite seeming miniscule in comparison to the Gardevoir and Empoleon opposite, the Pikachu seemed more than ready to battle.

"Alright, Piplup, you, too!" Dawn called out. Standing to the side of Dawn, Piplup waddled onto the battlefield, taking its place beside Pikachu before shooting a competitive glance at Barry's Empoleon, who merely pulled an intimidating grin from behind its trident-like crest.

"Okay, this match will be a two-on-two battle with no substitutions. The winner will be the team with the Trainer with the last remaining Pokémon. Begin!" the ref explained, commencing the battle.

"Okay, let's start this off! Pikachu, fire a Thunderbolt straight at that Empoleon!" Ash called out. Upon hearing his Trainer's command, the Electric-type dashed forward, positioning itself in front of the Emperor Pokémon. Within a split second, the Pikachu channelled a fearsome ball of energy in front of itself, slowly growing with time before he shot it directly towards Empoleon.

"Empoleon, do something-"

"Gardevoir, use Psychic," Fleur calmly told her Pokémon. The Gardevoir, in an instant, dove in the way of Empoleon, closing her eyes for a split second before enveloping her body with a pale pink aura. As the Thunderbolt came charging in, Gardevoir shot open her eyes, now coloured in a misty blue, attaching her glance with the incoming jolt of lightning, diverging its path directly into the sky.

"W-what was that?" Ash stammered, immediately taken aback by the Gardevoir's tactics.

"It's amazing the things you can do with a Psychic attack," Fleur grinned. "But it's nothing special really, I just diverged the path of the Thunderbolt attack so it completely missed."

"That's amazing…" Dawn whispered to Ash.

"And now, none of your ranged attacks will have any effect on us," Fleur remarked. "But now it's our turn to fight! Gardevoir, Teleport behind Piplup!" In the blink of an eye, Gardevoir flashed, startling the Piplup as he looked behind himself to see the towering Psychic-type. "Shadow Ball!"

Gardevoir held out her hands, building a ball of ghostly energy before firing it directly on top of Piplup's head. The resulting impact summoned a cloud of smoke to raid the battlefield, clouding the Piplup in a blast of darkness.

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail above Piplup," Ash growled, unable to gain any sight of Gardevoir's location. As the dust slowly cleared, a miniature crater rested under Piplup, who leapt to its feet, rubbing its head from the devastating blow it just suffered. Pikachu stood beside his battling partner, but Gardevoir had teleported back to its starting location.

"Piplup, are you okay?" Dawn cried out to her starter Pokémon, only to hear an uneasy chirp as a reply.

"That speed…" Ash quietly awed to himself. "Gardevoir had teleported back to her starting location before we even noticed… and since ranged attacks won't work… Pikachu, Volt Tackle!" Ash called out.

The Pikachu in front of him galloped forward, covering itself in a blur of yellow light that charged directly at his opponents.

"It's coming for you, Barry," Fleur quickly said, slanting her eyebrows.

"Empoleon, block it with Steel Wing!" Barry told his Pokémon. Empoleon's mind jolted into gear, immediately throwing its shimmering wings across its chest. The Pokémon braced itself calmly as the Electric-type collided into the Steel-type, throwing both Pokémon back. "Well blocked, Empoleon-huh-?"

"Now, Iron Tail!" Ash speedily added. Pikachu leapt into the air, changing the base material of his tail to a hardy steel before smashing it against Empoleon's side, hurling the Pokémon across the battlefield. "Yeah! Great job there, Pikachu!"

"Keep your guard up, Barry," Fleur told him.

"Alright, Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on Gardevoir," Ash said. Pikachu hesitantly turned in the Gardevoir's direction, anticipating the Psychic-type to distort the path of his attack. Slowly, Pikachu shot out a beaming ray of electricity at the Embrace Pokémon, only to find the inevitable.

"Gardevoir, Psychic again," Fleur sighed. Gardevoir reacted, connecting her eyes with the tip of the Thunderbolt attack, directing it up into the sky again. "Don't think I'll forget my own tactics, Ash," she called out.

"Piplup, follow up with a Whirlpool attack!" Dawn said. Piplup charged forward headfirst, its beak glowing in a blinding yellow light, before summoning a torrential swirl of water that fired itself straight at the Gardevoir.

"Gardevoir, look out!" Fleur urgently cried out. Almost immediately, Piplup's Whirlpool attack threw Gardevoir back with a monstrous force.

"Aha, just as I thought!" Dawn victoriously cheered. "Your Psychic attack isn't as flawless as you claim; you can only control one thing at a time, and since your Gardevoir was concentrating on Pikachu's Thunderbolt attack, you were not able to stop Piplup's Whirlpool," she explained with a proud smile.

Fleur stood frozen still before gradually bringing back her smile. "Clap, clap, Dawn," she said, silently pressing her hands together. "But that doesn't change a thing! Gardevoir, Shadow Ball, full power; aim for Empoleon!"

"What?!" Ash and Dawn called out in unison.

"Friendly fire, really?"

"I know he's underperforming, but is that really necessary?" Several confused voices from the crowd murmured.

Fleur's Gardevoir raised its silk-like sleeves, concentrating a vast amount of dark energy into the purple orb of energy that had appeared before it. "You ready, Barry?" Fleur asked, just as Gardevoir gave her Trainer a nod.

"I'm ready!" Barry replied confidently. "Get ready, Empoleon!" the Empoleon, now back on its feet, took a long stare at its target before nodding back at his Trainer.

"Now, Gardevoir!" The Gardevoir fired the ball of ghostly energy directly at Empoleon, awaiting a call from its Trainer.

"Empoleon, hit it with Steel Wing!" Barry called out. Barry's Empoleon readied his glimmering wing, smacking the incoming Shadow Ball with a frightening force down at the Pikachu and Piplup, who both got swallowed up by the resulting explosion that sent a ton of debris flying in the air. "Haha, bull's-eye!"

"That's our Fleur!"

"What a fantastic team those two make!"

"The blonde kid's not too bad, either."

Ash and Dawn both stood with their mouths agape, still waiting to see the fate of their Pokémon after the resulting explosion. "Piplup! Pikachu! Are you okay?" she said, cupping her hands around her mouth. As the dust thinned out, two faint silhouettes of Pokémon began to show to the two Trainers.

"_Pikachuu_," Pikachu exclaimed, slowly heaving itself off the ground after the stunning blow it took.

"_Piplupup_," chirped the Piplup, appearing quite dizzy after the previous attack.

"Oh, you're both okay!" Dawn cried, pulling a relieved smile.

"…That was some combination," Ash awed, his jaw still dragging across the ground after what he recognised to be an incredible move.

"Face it, Ash! You've lost this," Barry taunted, unnerving Ash slightly as the raven-haired Trainer lowered his cap over his head, letting a small growl.

"Don't listen to him, Ash," Dawn encouraged, placing a friendly hand on his shoulder. She leaned over, gazing into his deep chocolate eyes with her heartfelt smile. "Why don't we show those two just who the _real_ king and queen of combinations are, eh?" she blushed, not afraid to hide her reddened cheeks from him.

Ash smiled. "If you really think we can beat them, then I'll be more than glad to help you," he replied. "Besides, it looks as if that last attack really hurt their stamina," Ash noted observantly, watching as his opponents' Pokémon panted restlessly, trying their best to recover their energy in time for the next attack.

"You ready, Pikachu?" Ash called out, clenching his fist.

"_Pika-Pikachu_!"

"What about you, Piplup?"

"_Piplup_!"

"Okay then, Pikachu get ready to Volt Tackle," he said to his Pokémon. The Mouse Pokémon leapt in front of Piplup, proceeding to gather electricity from the atmosphere, building it up inside itself.

"And, Piplup, use Hydro Pump to propel Pikachu!" Dawn explained. Piplup paused for a moment, taking a giant breath before firing a torrent of water straight at the Electric-type.

"Now, Pikachu!" Ash called out. Pikachu shot forward; within an instant, the Pokémon covering itself in a shimmering golden light. The gush of water behind the Pikachu eventually caught on to the strikes of lightning, synergising the two into a single attack.

"Gardevoir, look out!" Fleur worriedly told her Pokémon. The Mouse Pokémon, now propelled and enveloped within a torrent of water, coupled with the shards of lightning that surged through the air at a blinding speed closed the gap in between himself and his opponents until the defining moment when they collided.

The resulting explosion hurled a cloud of opaque dust into the air. The breeze that rolled by began clearing the way for the Trainers as they watched anxiously with their eyes oblivious to whom the winner is. As the dust cleared, two faint silhouettes rose to their feet, resembling a small mouse-like and a penguin-like Pokémon.

"Gardevoir and Empoleon are unable to battle, which means the winner of the first round of the Twinleaf Festival of the Stars Tag Battle Tournament is Dawn and Ash!" the ref announced, holding an arm in favour of his two travelling buddies.

Immediately the crowd burst into a frenzy of cheers for Ash and Dawn as they sprinted towards their Pokémon, embracing them with a friendly hug.

"Wow, what a way to kick-start the Tag Battle Tournament. It was close, but Ash and Dawn managed to squeeze through Barry and Fleur in gaining the first spot in the second round. Commiserations to our losers, but congratulations to Ash and Dawn!"

"This doesn't change a thing, Ash, I'll fine you if you don't admit that I'm better!" Barry stomped.

"Well, we lost fair and square, but you know, for the son of a Pokémon legend like your dad, you're pretty damn useless…" Fleur joked, grinning at him with her trademark charm.

"What did you just call me?!"

"I'm kidding, Barry," she told him. "We did make an awesome team out there, but those two are something else…"

Ash grinned fervently, looking at the crowd that cheered his name like a chorus, their cries sounding Ash's heart into an untameable frenzy. "We did it, Dawn," he cheerily remarked, still glancing at the crowd.

Dawn, still stunned by their win, slowly withdrew a smile, beaming it straight at the night sky. "Yeah… we did it…" she slowly said, looking up to Ash. "Now let's go ahead and win this tournament!"

* * *

A multitude of Pokémon took to the stage; battle after battle commenced that night with a dizzying array of mystical moves and sparks flying after each engagement. Shock results and long-fought battles pleased the crowd in particular with each team sending out their finest Pokémon to fight on their behalf. Trumped by not only the skill of their opponents' Pokémon, but the teamwork between each couple, the number of entries eventually whittled down with two worthy winners facing off against Palmer and the mysterious special guest.

"Now's the moment you've all been waiting for, ladies and gentleman! It's time for the winners of this years' Tag Battle Festival to take on the Sinnoh Battle Frontier's Palmer and the special guest, whom we will be revealing in a short time – but first, I present to you your winners: Ash Ketchum and Dawn Berlitz!" the announcer proclaimed, holding a hand in the direction of the couple. "My, my, what a fantastic team those two make. Certainly worthy winners of this years' Festival of the Stars Tag Battle Tournament, am I right? But let's just see how they compare to Sinnoh's finest…"

At one side of the battlefield stood Ash and Dawn, their eyes riddling with unparalleled concentration as they awaited their opponents. Their Pokémon, akin to their Trainers, stood at the edge of the battlefield, waiting patiently for the man of the hour.

"…Are you ready, Dawn?" Ash asked, shooting a confident smirk in his partner's direction.

"I've never faced Palmer before, but he's strong…very strong," worriedly remarked the co-ordinator as a shivering bolt pierced her heart. "But it's not just him – no – he's pairing up with someone else, too," she reminded, tugging gently onto Ash's sleeve as the anticipation shook her nerves to an all-time high.

"Then we'll just have to show them both just how strong we are," Ash replied, looking down into Dawn's eyes, pulling a child-like grin. "Just remember, if you ever get stuck, Pikachu and I have got your back, okay?"

She glanced at his audacious smile, riveting her azure eyes that glistened with the glow of the moon. "Yes, let's try our best," she replied with a more enthusiastic tone, smiling along the way.

"…yes, that's right, Sinnoh's finest, I said! Once a normal human like you and me, but now, a member of the strongest and most prestigious Pokémon tournament in the world, I welcome you the one and only Tower Tycoon Palmer of the Sinnoh Battle Frontier!"

It was tiniest of moments of silence between when the crowd had regained their composure to them cheering for a Pokémon legend. Walking onto the battlefield, a wave of nerves pounced on Ash and Dawn, sending each of them into a frenzy of shivers as they met eyes with Palmer.

He stood proud before the congregation, wearing his large green coat and trademark shaggy blonde hair that clearly ran in the family, a gleaming smile and charismatic wave was all it took for the crowd to burst out with a flurry of cheers and whistles, chanting the name 'Palmer' like an idol.

"That Palmer sure is popular," Brock noted, folding his arms with a sense of admiration as he watched the Frontier Brain work the crowd.

"That's my dad. Only it should be me battling in that final, not Ash," Barry muttered.

"You're never gonna let it go, are you?" Fleur sighed, rolling her eyes at the older Trainer. "But what I'm interested about is who he's battling alongside."

After a while, with the cheers and whistles only getting louder, the announcer quickly drew his microphone before continuing. "Wow! Just look at that response! Certainly one formidable opponent, but what else did you expect from the one and only Palmer? Ash and Dawn certainly have their hands full now, but it's not over yet. It's time to reveal the special guest, whom will be fighting alongside Palmer and against Ash and Dawn. And my, my, what a treat we have for you today. From overseas, she's been a world-famous Co-ordinator from a very young age, bound only by her imagination; I welcome to you the winner of the Hoenn Grand Festival, the Princess of Hoenn, May Maple!"

Another booming cry of delight shook from the innumerable crowd as Ash and Dawn, who were left stunned, watched as their friend walked onto the stage, waving at the crowd with a degree of elegance. She looked much more matured than beforehand, growing and maturing physically as her prude strides gently carried her to the side of Palmer.

"It's been a while, you two. Don't think that just because you won the Tag Battle Tournament that you'd think this battle will be a walk in the park. We won't be going easy on you two," Palmer boomed with an intimidating grin. "May and I are going to show you how _real_ champions fight!"

* * *

A shadowy figure rested by one of the trees that bordered the edge of a grand river that surged through the outskirts of Sinnoh. He stood perfectly still, gazing at the glimmers of sunlight that bounced off the river's surface with a feeling of animosity purging his deep red, bloodshot eyes, twitching every now and again with each passing sound that broke the deafening silence. Although the sun was nearing its peak, a very indefinable feeling flourished in the air around the man, a feeling that sent Pokémon running for their lives, silencing the calming breeze that flew by, as if he was controlling nature itself.

"…Five…" the man whispered, breaking the deafening silence. His chilling voice froze the grass below him within a thick coat of ice.

"…Four…" the man whispered again with a patient tone. He shot open his bloodshot eyes that immediately spiralled as they jerked left and right, taking a step forward, still engulfed within the shadow of the great tree that loomed over him.

"…Three…" He slowly turned, eyeing the immaculate sky with a great feeling of anticipation and excitement sending his legs into a tremor.

"…Two…" he murmured with a stronger voice than before, raising both his hands to the sky.

"…One…" He fell silent. "It's here…"

"_RAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWAAARRRRR!"_ A deafening shriek struck the ground with an unimaginable force, tearing away the trees from their roots, swaying blades of grass in the direction of the fearsome cry that erupted from the sky, and yet, the man stood perfectly still, eyeing the sky with a sense of marvel glimmering in his red eyes.

A sudden black spot appeared from the sky where a pair of green claws tore away at the atmosphere 'til a massive crack appeared in the sky.

"Rayquaza…" the man murmured with excitement pulsating through his veins at an alarming rate. "It's been a while, and I'm surprised you actually showed up …Emperor of the Skies… my beloved Rayquaza…"

A sudden beady eye appeared within the crack, stunning the scenery within a glance by the mighty legendary Pokémon. Its black pupil, stained with feeling of fear, glanced down at the lone man with an uncanny grin smothering his face sadistically.

"You used to be one of mine, Rayquaza… you used to be one of my own; my treasured Pokémon," the man slowly told the great legendary. "So how about returning to your Trainer-?"

"_RAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWAAARRRRR_!" Rayquaza penetrated the sky with another bellowing roar.

"I knew you'd decline my offer." He shuffled forward, retreating his hand for a quick moment before flashing a mysterious, spherical shape at the sky, marked with an 'M' with one half covered in a metallic purple. "Get back into your ball, Rayquaza!" A tornado circled the man as the ground below him began to blacken with the evil slowly emitting from his body and spreading into the once calm surroundings. Rayquaza's pupils shrank suddenly before piercing the sky with another deafening roar.

"I'm sure you're well-educated about the King's Jirachi and the tournament he is holding. Any one wish in the world will be awarded to whoever wins his tournament, you know. Don't make me waste that wish in getting you back!" The man gritted his teeth, growling with the animosity purging from his body.

"No one ever knew that you were captured…and I do have to say, we did quite a good job of keeping it a secret," the man chuckled, grinning viciously at his former Pokémon. "But you ran away from me! Who knew the great Rayquaza was such a coward! This is the Master Ball… your ball… and yet you chose to run away from me! Coward!" he spat, mocking the dragon-type. "Did you hear me? I said 'coward'! You never understood our potential, Rayquaza. Everything you see could've been ours, but no, you never wanted 'everything', you never wished to bowed down to, but instead, you chose to run away, hiding in your little sanctuary, praying that _that boy_ would come and stop me… coward."

A short moment of silence passed.

"I'm telling you one more time, Rayquaza… get _back_ in your ball!" the man slowly said, pronouncing each word with a different level of convection. A fierce, deadly glimmer kept still in his eye as he shot daggers at the legendary. "GET BACK INTO YOUR BALL!"

"_RAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWAAARRRRR_!" the legendary howled before sealing the gap in the sky, vanishing from sight.

The man lowered his head, still retaining his psychotic grin, chuckling with a malefic tone. "So naïve… I don't think you understand the magnitude of this situation, Rayquaza… You know, I went through a lot of trouble to get this," he said to himself, tossing the Maser Ball between his hands. "But I'm not the kind of man who will lose to cowards so easily. I will find you, and I will catch you. With you by my side, a new era shall break the dawn on this world! A world where the darkness can take over the light… you refused to get into your ball," he shouted, holding the ball back up to the sky. "You tried to defy me… and now, you shall pay the price of disobeying me… Rayquaza… you will be mine again! My vision of the new world requires a strong Pokémon… and you're going to help me."

He exited the scene, now with an even larger smile on his face. "I like it when they play hard to get, and because of you, I'm going to have to win that tournament and get that Jirachi! You do make me laugh, Rayquaza, but I'm afraid your days of freedom are now numbered. Time is ticking, and soon you will be mine again… my beloved, beloved, Rayquaza…"

* * *

**I do hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it =) Anyhow, please review. Every word means so much to me! **

**Take care, and I will update in due time (Probably less than a week). **


	3. Power - The Captain

**Hey. As far as the poll is concerned, I'd rather introduce many of the characters first before I actually upload the poll, mostly because it would contain a number of OCs that need introducing first – probably around chapter 5. **

**Anyhow, Chapter 3 and some plot.  
**

* * *

**Jirachi's Wish**

**Chapter 3**

**.:. Power - The Captain .:.**

A tense battle kept the crowd at the feet in Twinleaf Town where the winners of the Twinleaf Town Festival of the Stars Tag Battle Tournament winners, Ash and Dawn, have been pitted against Tower Tycoon Palmer of the Sinnoh Battle Frontier and the winner of the Hoenn Grand Festival, May Maple. With genius combinations contending against raw power and experience, the final Pokémon Battle of the day met the expectations of even the most serious of Pokémon Trainers. Sparks and tensions rising after each and every move that either side performed lead to a cataclysmic finish with the faint silhouettes of two Pokémon shown fainted.

"Infernape and Togekiss are unable to battle, meaning that May and Tower Tycoon Palmer are the winners!" the referee said, holding a flag in the direction of Palmer's Rhyperior and May's Blaziken. A tremendous uproar of excitement erupted from the crowd almost instantly, cheering the two worthy winners of the battle with as much vigour as the battle contained.

"What a battle to conclude the festival tournament that was! But even with that valiant effort from Ash and Dawn, it still wasn't enough to beat Palmer and May."

Another round of applaud reckoned from the crowd as Dawn and Ash strode to the middle of the battlefield, up to their fallen Pokémon seeming joyful with their efforts.

"You feeling alright, buddy?" Ash knelt down to his Fire-type with a proud smile beaming from his face. "I'm telling you, you fought like a real champ out there, and you couldn't have made me happier!"

"_Infernape_!" Infernape jumped into Ash's arms, embracing his Trainer with an explosion of happiness before returning to his Pokéball to rest.

"You, too, Togekiss! You put on a real performance out there and you did your best," Dawn said, returning her Pokémon, but not before wrapping her arms around her Pokémon.

Footsteps soon sounded and the couple looked up to find themselves in the presence of their opponents.

"Another great battle, Ash! I warned you that we weren't going to go easy on you, and you stood your ground longer than expected. Hell, I got worried for a second, then," he chuckled, throwing a friendly, clumsy arm onto Ash's shoulder, knocking the young Pokémon Trainer off his balance.

"Sorry I didn't tell you guys I was coming," May apologised, bowing sincerely. "I kind of wanted to do everything I could to make it a surprise, but now that I'm here, I want to say that I'm so happy to see you both!" she quickly said, quickly hugging Ash and Dawn with an excited grin. "And congratulations on your positions in the Sinnoh League and the Grand Festival. You guys certainly battled out there like winners!" May exclaimed, taking a step back the battling partners with an ever-excited smile smothering her face.

"I'm still surprised you've came all the way to Sinnoh, and so soon after winning the Grand Festival in Hoenn!" Dawn remarked, gazing at her role model with a sense of awe. "I bet every newspaper in the world wants a piece of you now, huh, speaking of which, how have you been?"

"Yeah, it's been annoying to say the least. Adjusting from some wannabe co-ordinator to someone whose job it is to be all prim and proper has been difficult, so it's nice to just kick back a little bit. Drew's been jealous as always and Max wouldn't shut up about how Ash put on such a great performance at the Sinnoh League," she explained, beaming a smile in Ash's direction. "And so, Ash…"

The Hoenn Co-ordinator took a giant step in the direction of Ash, cutely pressing her shoulder against his. "How's Sinnoh been treating you?" she asked with an innocent smile and batting her eyelashes.

A flush of red struck his cheeks suddenly. "Sinnoh's been great, and I'd be sad to see it go, but I guess it's been such a long time since I've seen Pallet Town," he replied after regaining his composure.

"Back to Pallet Town?!" Palmer choked, astounded, just as Barry, Fleur and Brock joined the congregation that settled in the centre of the battlefield. Slowly, the crowds surrounding dispersed as the festival continued to rage on with all excitement and anticipation now focused on the grand finale of the night that was yet to come. "You can't head back now, Ash, not with the Ocera Conference coming up in a week! Which reminds me, son, are you taking part?" Palmer asked, looking down at his kin. "You'd want to do the family name proud, but trust me, there's going to be a hell of a lot of Pokémon Trainers taking part."

"You bet! And when I win, I'll wish for a million wishes! Genius, I know," Barry announced, proclaiming his genius intellect with a sense of self-satisfaction.

Ash looked with a grin at Barry. "Any one wish in the world, eh?" he quietly said to himself, pausing for a moment with a finger resting against his cheek. "I've never really thought about taking part; the idea of going home has seemed like the only thing I want to do, let alone what I'm going to do or where I'm going to go next…"

"Allow me to intrude on your conversation," a voice spoke from behind Ash. He spun round; his eyes noticing a tall man, dressed head to toe in an impressive uniform that registered itself as being a symbol of a man of great importance and social standing. His strides seemed so uniform as he marched towards the congregation. "Ash Ketchum, I presume?" the man said, pointing an intimidating finger at the young boy. "Pokémon Trainer. Top Four standing in the Sinnoh League. Thirty seconds after knowing you and you already sound like an accomplished man," he explained with a grin. An obscure aura permeated off of him; Dawn and Fleur took a step back with caution, as did Brock.

"Thanks, er," Ash hesitated, "but who are you?"

"_Who am _I…" the man quietly said to himself with a rather annoyed tone, swiftly pulling out a flask before downing a quick gulp of its contents. He shook for a second, wincing from the strong taste, before letting out a light chuckle. "I guess I can't be known in every corner of the world. Very well, then. Laurent Haller, Captain of the Guard and the Ocera Archipelago King's Right Hand," he informed, striking a picturesque smile that almost swept Fleur off her feet. He ran a hand through his navy-coloured hair before continuing. "You may call me Laurent or Captain Haller, and it is my responsibility that the Ocera Conference goes as planned."

"Does that mean you've seen the King's Jirachi?" Barry asked with an enthusiastic glance.

Laurent turned to his right, looking down at Barry before grunting. "Yes, and I'll be damned if I let you think you're going to exploit Jirachi's wish like that," he replied, forcibly shooting down another mouthful of content from his flask. "Interesting to see just how you're just like your son, Palmer," the Captain smirked, flicking his head in the direction of the Frontier Brain. "And, as always, it's nice to see you," he added politely.

"Likewise, Captain Haller," Palmer formally addressed, adjusting his posture.

"You both know each other?" Brock asked, switching his gaze between Laurent and Palmer.

"The Captain of the Guard here just so happens to have hired the whole Sinnoh Battle Frontier to help with the Ocera Conference, and what a fine decision he's made, I must say," Palmer cheered, emitted a hearty laugh. "Not to mention he's an old friend of mine from way back in the day, and speaking of which, what has brought you to Twinleaf, Captain? If it's the Tournament you're here for, I'm afraid you've just missed it."

"Nah, Pokémon Battling never really was my area of expertise. I'd rather handle a fight myself," he replied with an expressionless face. Laurent paused again for a second, taking another gulp from his flash. He wiped his mouth, looking down at the youngest of the congregation, Fleur. "I regret to say, Palmer that I fear that something is going to happen at the tournament," he slowly explained, "something that, dare I say, could be even out of my power."

An odd, uncanny feel settled in the atmosphere around the party. "…Captain, what could possibly happen? You've got the Sinnoh Frontier Brains watching your back and every single detail that happens at the tournament. You have nothing to worry about," Palmer reassured, smiling in the hope that his enthusiasm with catch on to the group. Laurent merely stared at him before Palmer acted again. "Shouldn't we take this elsewhere, Captain-"

"Actually," he interrupted, briefly smiling at the group of Pokémon Trainers beneath him, "they're the reason why I'm here today. Team Magma, Team Aqua and, as of only recently, Team Galactic have all fell at the hands of you guys. Beats me how a bunch of kids manage to topple a world-superpower, but it's not like I control the ways of the world."

Ash stood up straight with a sense of pride crawling inside of him, knowing full well that he played a major part in the downfall of these giant, criminal organisations.

"I've received word that, just a few miles away from this very spot, a giant crack appeared in the sky, and from that spot, a strange, giant, green Pokémon appeared," Laurent explained, straightening his posture and turning his attention back to Palmer. "Although we're not certain that it was a Pokémon or not, what was certain was that there was a human present at the scene, talking to the green Pokémon."

Ash froze for a second. "A giant, green Pokémon…" he quietly said to himself, pressing a finger against his cheek as he looked back up the sky. "And a crack in the sky…"

"Precisely. This could be the work of something supernatural, or just an extremely powerful Pokémon, but either way, I'm worried if this has an effect on the tournament. Which happens to bring me so conveniently onto my second item of news: the tournament is a lie-"

"What?!" the Pokémon Trainers below him jumped up with a mix of surprise and shock. "But…what about Jirachi?!"

"Jirachi is safe within the King's quarters, and the winner of the tournament still receives any one wish from the King's Jirachi – that I can assure you is guaranteed. And anyway, it's this that's causing all the trouble…" Another swig from his flask and he slowly pulled out from around his neck a thinning string. At the end of the string, the Captain revealed what seemed like an oddly-shaped key. "This key is more valuable than human life," he earnestly told them, his face frozen with the most serious of expressions.

"A key?" May questioned sceptically. "…More valuable than human life?"

"That's not just any old key." Palmer shook, falling backwards with fear before dashing towards the key to take a closer look. His jaw shook as he moved closer, and to the younger members of the group, the idea of one of the strongest and smartest Pokémon Trainers being scared and falling under an eerie, fearful condition was more than enough for them to peak their curiosity. "I never knew you were a Key-holder, Captain. This is dangerous, you know. If you're seen with that, people will kill-"

"Kill me? Please, Palmer, don't underestimate me," he remarked, pulling a smile. "But you're right in saying my life could be in danger, and I'm fully aware of the potential consequences, but I'm going to assume that you guys don't." He glanced down again at the younger Pokémon Trainers, each one of their faces riddled with intrigue. "The key I have on me is one of eight in the world. Although it may come off as garbage, this is one of the keys to a hidden vault known the Ocera Library. Once all the keys are recovered and are placed in the eight locks, the vault will open."

"Kept within the Ocera Library are the secrets of our world. The history of Pokémon, the rarest of Pokémon books that detail the origins, habits and undiscovered moves of Pokémon that could lead to end-of-the-world scale effects – the ability to resurrect dead Pokémon, methods used by our ancestors that could, with the use of science, change humans into a Pokémon, and even a book that shows how it is possible for humans to use Pokémon moves. Some of the creations and books that our ancestors consider too powerful for a single Pokémon Trainer to own has been placed in this Library and locked using the eight keys, and for that reason, we must never let anyone into the Library, regardless of their standing. Thankfully, there are a few obstacles that make my job a little easier. First of all, no one knows who has the keys or where they are located – lost, buried, kept hidden, or simply wrapped around someone's neck – locating all these keys would be almost impossible in a normal circumstance. Another problem is that only one person knows where the Library is located, and that's the King."

"Well then there's no need to worry," Dawn beamed. "If no one knows where the keys are, then it'd be hard for anyone to find them all."

"That's what we aim to do," Laurent replied to the blue-haired girl, the expression on his face, once again, frozen in sternness. "The real reason for this tournament is to locate the keys, secure them and destroy them. Other Key-holders would probably be seeking to do the same thing, or even use the keys to get inside the Library, and that's why I'll need your help," he said, focusing his attention back to the younger members of the group. "The keys and the Library are only considered a myth, but it'll only be a matter of time before secrets let loose and people begin to question. We must stop anyone from securing the keys, and if you so happen to receive any notice on anyone acting suspicious or just… strange, then tell me. I'll get the Frontier Brains on them," he smirked, winking at Palmer.

"No one must find the keys, but any keys we do find we must give to you then, Laurent, right?" May asked, awaiting a confirmation.

"That's it. The King's intention is to destroy the keys, but first, we must gather up all the Pokémon Trainers, all at once. I can almost guarantee that the keys would be around there somewhere," he quickly added, taking a mouthful of the liquid.

"Excuse me, but what would happen if someone does find all the keys?" Fleur timidly asked, inching closer to the side of her Gardevoir that watched over her. "Will something bad happen?"

Laurent shifted his eyes to the right for a second, letting out a short sigh before continuing. "I'd rather not think about what _could_ happen if someone not on our side gets all the keys, but you shouldn't fret. My purpose is to make sure the tournament goes smoothly," he replied, regaining his composure. "Your help would be invaluable, though. _That_ I can promise you," he explained a convective tone before turning away from the party.

"I assume the next time we'll meet, Captain, is at the Ocera Archipelago, correct?" Palmer asked to the back of Laurent. "In Rosenvine City?"

"Yeah, that's it…" he softly spoke, still facing away from the group. "Rosenvine City is where you should head for the first part of the tournament. Stay safe, and be careful of anyone looking suspicious." And with a heavy step forward, the Captain disappeared into the crowd, vanishing from the party's domain.

"Rosenvine City it is, then!"

* * *

The night blazed on with the parties raging on all throughout the night. Music and lights boomed in from every angle with the ever-looming grand finale soon to arrive in Twinleaf. All around the modest, small town, a welcoming feel kept somewhat alive with the ever-present happiness floating amidst the many townspeople.

But for Ash Ketchum, it was something a little more serious that kept his mind busy.

"The secrets of Pokémon… and everything there's to know about Pokémon, eh?" he said with a degree of concentration. "That'd be pretty awesome, huh, Pikachu?"

"_Pika_," Pikachu replied.

"But to help the Captain out, I need to find the keys that keep this vault sealed. He's also a Key-holder, though. Key-holders would want to find the other Key-holders and steal their keys, and only when all the keys are placed in the Ocera Library, then the vault will open…" Ash explained to himself, his mind lost in a trail of thought. "Oh, man, that's a lot to think about!" he wheezily remarked, pressing a hand against his forehead.

"Something the matter, Ash?" May walked up, taking a seat on the bench and shifting herself a little closer towards her old travelling friend. "Normally when it comes to festivals, you're the one who'd need calming down, but you somehow seem as if you're thinking about something – very out of character for you."

They both laughed with Ash soon sighing, sinking into place before sitting back up straight. "It's really nice to see you again, May," he said out of the blue, still keeping eye contact with a peripheral that found itself into Ash's sight. "Even if it was a total surprise," he giggled.

"Yeah, same here, Ash," May nervously giggled back, twiddling her fingers in between themselves. "Erm, Ash, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure, what's on your mind?"

"Erm… you w-wouldn't mind if I travelled with you guys to the Ocera Archipelago – but I would totally understand if you said 'no' – just that, I'd want to take p-part, but after seeing you guys here today, all those past months travelling alone seemed somewhat lonely, and just not as fun," she quietly said, stroking her arm. She didn't look up at Ash, but just knowing of his presence was enough for her to slur her words.

Ash turned his head in May's direction, pulling a boyish smile that only enhanced his charm. "Sure, May. The more the merrier after all, and it'd be interesting to see you battle after all this time. Any one wish in the world, eh?"

The fireworks reckoned from the Town Square in what seemed like a cataclysm of colour. The myriad of awestruck faces seemed almost hypnotised by each blast of light that shattered the atmosphere with every explosion further enticing the Pokémon Trainers and spectators that came from all sides of the world to visit Twinleaf. To conclude the night, was the shooting star; a spec of light, followed by a trail of glittering dust flew across the night sky, the sheer beauty of such a moment captured in the minds of the Twinleaf residents with the marvel and excitement of such an image sending a wave of beatitude drumming through their bodies and souls.

Ash, in particular, was immensely satisfied at how the day went. Standing in between Dawn and May, he couldn't help but feel cheery as his mind was set on his next destination: the Ocera Archipelago, Rosenvine City and the Ocera Conference.

* * *

"What a spectacle," a man quietly spoke looking out his window, his charming smile shining bright when pitted against the sea of darkness that surrounded him. Down to his right, a smaller figure, camouflage amidst the dark backdrop, watched on as the fireworks display kicked off in the distance. "Home has never been so sweet, but we're going to have to get moving again, my Pokémon. Soon, at least."

"Excuse me, young master," a man stuttered, creeping up from behind the darkened figure. "I strongly advise that you stay within the safety of your home. I cannot guarantee your safety if you go to the Ocera Conference."

"Hmm, my safety is something that no one needs to worry about, not when I have my Pokémon by my side," the man replied to his servant.

"Perhaps so, young master, but Pokémon aren't going to protect you against people who'd want to kill you. Regardless of your achievements in the Sinnoh League, I still believe it's too risky," he replied, regaining his composure. "Besides, what would you do with a wish when you have pretty much everything as it is!"

"Any one wish in the world? Jirachi's wish would be nice, but it isn't necessary. The secrets of Pokémon, the foundations and traditions that we follow to this very day – I'm a curious one, but even those things don't motivate me to leave… it's something else that has caught my attention…"

"Young master, even if you do find the Ocera Library, you do not have the keys to get in!" his servant exclaimed with a more serious tone. "And what could have possibly caught your attention?"

"Many centuries ago, an obscure Pokémon was placed in the Library, because it was too strong, too obscure, but most importantly, it was a freak of nature. I have reason to believe that this Pokémon is kept within its Pokéball inside the Library, and I'd like to meet it," the young master replied with a smile, facing up at the innumerable stars that scattered the night sky. "Darkrai here only makes up one-fifth of my current team." The darkened Pokémon floated into the only visible light, revealing himself to be the Pitch-Black Pokémon. "I want this Pokémon to complete my ultimate team!"

"…You know very well that I cannot control you, so this is as hard as I'm going to try, young master," the servant sighed, frowning with a worrisome tone. "You have my best wishes, and I hope, for your parents' sake, that you make it back safe and sound, even if that item around your neck would make you a target."

"The key…" The young master paused for a second, moving his hands to his neck where he tugged on the string that rested against him, revealing an odd-shaped key. "I'm one of the Key-holders, so I cannot guarantee my safety. I just need to find them before they find me, and then I'll be the one in that library. It'd be like a game of cat and mouse…" The young master strode to the giant door of his home while Darkrai floated ominously towards the young master's servant.

"Please take care of him, Darkrai." The servant knelt down to the Dark-type, pressing a hand against his cold, blackened coat. "Protect him and take care of him, even if your own life is at stake, understand?"

Darkrai nodded obediently, hovering alongside his Trainer with his treasured key still in his hand. The Trainer's Darkrai has never truly showed emotion, but rather, expresses his love for his Trainer when they battle. Without a doubt in his mind, Darkrai knew to protect his Trainer, even if it cost his own life.

"I predict a storm coming, but by the time you reach Rosenvine City, you should be basking within the sunlight," the servant said, almost pulling a smile. "I know full-well that that key is a death-wish, young master, but I believe you're more than experienced enough to make your own decisions. Just make sure you don't die to someone else's greed for your key."

The young master chuckled. "People know who we are, and Darkrai and I aren't opponents people should take so lightly. But I will do everything in my power to avoid resulting to harm, so long as they are not a Key-holder, that is…" He pressed against the large door that opened up the path to the outside world. "Another arc in my life is over. The Sinnoh League has passed and another chapter is following, an adventure beckoning. Are you as ready as I am, Darkrai?" the young master poetically proclaimed with his arms raised to his sides, like a bird ready to engage into flight, standing beside his favourite Pokémon with the adventurous ingredient pulsating through their bodies. "You take care –oh, and one last thing…" The young master looked back at his servant with a polite smile - his charm and youth boasted with this simple act – before continuing. "Please call me by my first name."

The servant straightened up, facing the young master, and with a short bow, he bestowed his farewell: "Yes…Tobias…"


	4. The Bricks And Mortar Of Team Rocket

**And here's Chapter 4. The Ocera Conference should begin the next chapter, but for now, more plot/side story.**

* * *

**Jirachi's Wish**

**Chapter 4**

**.:. The Bricks And Mortar Of Team Rocket .:.**

"There it is…Team Rocket Headquarters," weakly moaned the magenta-haired woman with a tint of fear in her voice.

"Well, at least we ended on a blast…" wearily murmured the male; a lean built man with lavender hair, also trying to disguise the anxiety in his voice.

"And it won't be long 'til we get our farewell blast-off from the boss," exclaimed the cat-like Pokémon located between the two other figures.

The infamous Team Rocket trio, Jessie, James and Meowth, tiredly stood with their restless legs close to giving way before Team Rocket Headquarters. It was the peak of morning at that time, with the blistering early sunlight purposely taunting them after their failure to catch any Pokémon in the Sinnoh region. An entire year later, they stood before the Team Rocket Headquarters, cumulating the fear inside of them.

"M-m-maybe he won't be mad," James said in a lame attempt to be upbeat, pulling a very unconvincing smile. "Perhaps he'll understand our situation."

"Yeah, perhaps he's on vacation…" Jessie worriedly added, her voice shivering with the Kanto breeze that flew by.

"Hey!" Meowth blusterously shouted. "Why you two so glum? We showed those Galactic creeps who's da boss! We've got nothing to be ashamed of!"

"But…we didn't catch any Pokémon…" Jessie mentioned, leaning inwards.

"That's not as important as the reputation of our beloved Team Rocket," Meowth patriotically countered, raising a finger to the sky.

"Nope, I think we destroyed that too," James replied blankly.

"Listen, you two, if it weren't for us three, there wouldn't be no Team Rocket!" Meowth explained. "We three are the bricks and mortar that make up this stinking joint, and if he does fire us, then it'll be his loss!"

"Why so, Meowth?" Jessie asked.

"Because, we're the ones taking down Team Galactic, we're the ones taking down Team Aqua and Magma, and we're the ones getting our paws dirty in all this! I think we can go in knowing that we did a pretty good job out there," Meowth explained.

"Point taken," James and Jessie said in unison with their new found confidence. The trio, crippled by delusion, strode up to the front entrance where the floor below them changed from rocks to slabs of stone, and the large, looming shadow of the towering structure dominated them from above.

The Team Rocket agents stopped at the gate in front of a Grunt, dressed in a different uniform to them. "Jessie, James and Meowth, reporting for duty!" The three of them gave a quick salute to the Grunt at the gate whose eyes were shadowed by the cap that he was wearing. He slowly twisted his neck in the direction of the three agents, scanning them from head to toe.

"You the Sinnoh agents?" he asked informally, the expression his face being lifeless.

"Yes, our operations in the Sinnoh region are now complete," James replied, still standing up straight to his fellow Team Rocket member.

"Hmm, really," the Grunt grunted, uninterested. "Look, the boss wants to see you in his office. He's been waiting for you for the last…" he started, taking a quick glance at his watch, "…ten minutes; don't keep him waiting any longer. He expects you to deliver a full presentation and report of your achievements in the Sinnoh region, pronto," the Grunt explained in a single breath.

"Full…p-p-presentation?" Jessie stuttered. Team Rocket shrouded in fear, their faces slowly melting away.

"Exactly, now get moving," the Grunt replied, pushing the button that emitted a shallow groaning noise that eventually opened the gate in front of them. "The boss is waiting for you in his office right now; it's on the eighty-eighth floor." The Grunt faced the building, pointing at the very top floor of the grand structure where the pinnacles that pierced the sky rested, and the bird-like Pokémon floated within the clouds. "And I'm afraid the elevator is out of order, so you'll have to take the stairs," the Grunt explained lifelessly.

"Oh, great…" James' body sank, only supported by his restless legs. "If only this day couldn't get any worse…"

"And one last thing," the Grunt said, raising a finger. "The boss is in a _very_ angry mood, so do not disappoint him," he said sternly.

The three Team Rocket agents took a step closer to the building. "The end is nearing, Meowth!" Jessie screamed, turning to the Scratch Pokémon. "What do we do? I'm sure you've got some kind of machine that could write us a presentation in the next five minutes!"

"No can-do, Jess. Remember, bricks and mortar," Meowth replied, shaking his head. Jessie and James fell quiet as they finally entered the Team Rocket Headquarters with the feeling of regret circumnavigating their minds ceaselessly. Upon the ground floor were the science labs, and from there onwards, were the offices. They stood glaring at the first set of stairs that settled in front of them, their eyes widening the more they thought about the time-consuming challenge they were set.

"Well, best get started," Jessie confidently stepped forward, taking the first step of many towards Giovanni's office.

They say it's a long way to the top, the perfect example being Team Rocket's Headquarters. Just over forty-five minutes of climbing up countless stairs, passing through series after series of similar looking metallic corridors and catacombs that made up the Team Rocket Headquarters eventually lead to the top floor. The three agents took their final step up the seemingly never-ending set of stairs to finally set their eyes on the mythical eighty-eighth floor of the Team Rocket Headquarters building, where very few people ever even tread foot.

"Are we… at the… boss' office… yet?" James panted restlessly, clutching the metal banister as he refreshed his breath. He looked up to a sign on the wall reading '88-Floor' with a relieved smile that depleted the last ounces of energy he had left.

"I couldn't take another step…" Jessie moaned, falling to the floor tiredly. "Someone of my beauty does not deserve this kind of treatment…"

"Hush, would ya? The boss' office… is just over there," Meowth desperately sighed, pointing a finger at the open doors towards the end of the corridor. It was like looking into the gate to hell, except really cold. The eternity it took them to rise to the challenge of conquering the stairs was not well spent by the three agents as they stood on the top floor, clueless about their next step.

"So, what's the grand plan?" James asked worriedly, forcing his eyes away from the office located at the end of the corridor.

"Simple, we all do an equal amount of yappin' about how we beat Team Galactic, throw in a few exaggerations, talk a big about Jess' co-ordinating then get the hell outta 'ere with that promotion that we so well deserve," Meowth told them with fervent confidence.

Jessie and James nodded with a confident smile as the three mindless agents informally strode in with the egos as big as their strides up to the door where Giovanni's office was located. They all stood by the side, squeezing a head in. Despite being a remarkably rich man, Giovanni's office was not as showy as one might've imagined. Nevertheless, the floors were carpeted with the finest handmade rugs, and his desk was made of mahogany, crafted in Mahogany Town, respectively. There was even a giant glass window behind him where the entire view of Kanto was paved out for him. It was easy to say that the man who owned the office lived the highlife. There was a figure sitting behind the desk, waiting impatiently with his hands face-down on the desk in front of him, dressed in a black suit with two sets of vertically arranged golden buttons on his torso and a pair of black trousers and shoes – it was Giovanni, no doubt about it. The man's eyes lit up as they fixated themselves on the sight of the three agents peeping into his office. Standing up, and to his left was his secretary – a tallish woman with purple hair and glasses, holding many papers in her hands. Her uniform was fairy similar to Giovanni's with the obvious differences visible.

"There he is…" James pointed out, almost with fear in his voice.

"Way to state the obvious, James," Jessie spat.

"Right, you guys know the plan, let's go," Meowth exclaimed, leading the way in to Giovanni's office. The three of them resisted themselves from looking at the rare ornaments and the priceless paintings that hung off the walls and simply strode into his office confidently. The three of them kept their eyes focused on the boss in his chair, who only glared back at them.

"Agents Jessie, James and Meowth, reporting for duty!" The three of them said at once, giving the boss another quick salute. The boss didn't react to their appearance. A chilling arrow pierced the hearts of the three individuals as they stood nervously, waiting for a reply from their boss, inducing a numbing feeling into their minds.

"You're late…" Giovanni sternly reminded them. The Grunt at the front entrance wasn't lying either. Giovanni looked furious for some strange reason, and the seriousness in his voice displayed it clearly to them. "What's the excuse this time?"

"Yeah, well, w-w-what difference does a few minutes make..?" James nervously asked. He felt a steaming drop of sweat crawl from his hair down his neck where it seared his skin.

"You've kept me waiting for fifty-eight minutes, you buffoons…" Giovanni told them angrily, massaging a vein that bulged from his head. "You better have a good reason for this!" The anger brewed inside the man like milk on a warm day. It seemed that hell was hotter than it looked.

"Well, ermm…" Jessie started nervously before formally clearing her throat. "Our operations in the Sinnoh region were of the highest level of success, so much so, that we chose to take a personal tour around Team Rocket Headquarters," she said with full seriousness. Giovanni was also not amused.

"And what operations were these. I instructed you to capture high level Pokémon, not build a monopoly," Giovanni replied. "Well, where are these Pokémon?!" he burst out angrily, slamming a solid fist against his desk.

The three agents subtly looked at each other for an escape route. "Ahem, Sir," Jessie stepped up, clearing her throat again. "I thought before we introduce to you our Pokémon, that we'd first like to talk about our successful attempts at eliminating Team Galactic from the Sinnoh regi-"

"Wait a minute! You three?!" Giovanni asked sceptically, lunging himself forward in his chair. Even Giovanni's secretary widened her eyes.

"Oh yeah," Meowth intervened, folding his arms convectively. "We pretty much fought them with everything we had, sending back wave after of wave of the fiercest warriors there are on the planet, battling them with not only our brawns, but we managed to squeeze a bit of brains in there, too! At one point, we were almost overwhelmed, but you shoulda seen the determination on our faces, so they went cowering back to the holes where they came from!" Meowth exaggerated vastly. "We blew those cross-dressing, bowl-shaped, talentless creeps all the way into the sixth generation!"

"Hmm…" Giovanni leaned back on his chair comfortably with his fingers placed on his lips, thinking intently. "Very well then, that would bring us onto the second item of business," Giovanni gently leaned back on his chair, slamming open a draw on his desk where he retrieved a stack of papers before tempestuously plummeting them against his desk with a loud thud shortly following. "What is the meaning of this?!" he thundered fiercely.

The Team Rocket trio were thrown aback from Giovanni's forceful voice. "W-w-what's that you g-g-got there, Sir?" Jessie stuttered, lightly pointing a finger in the direction of Giovanni's desk, now buried in papers.

"These papers make up Team Rocket's bank statements!" he bellowed once more. "You three are the single most expensive things to ever come out of this company!"

"Sir, we have invested money into the finest machinery and up-to-date weaponry that granted us priceless victory against Team Galactic," Jessie argued. Giovanni, however, was not impressed.

"That still doesn't give you any reason to spend $40,500 on a…" he took a solid glance at the paper he was holding up, "…breakfast?!" His state of anger reached a record high with the veins in his head close to bursting point.

"That's kind a long story, you see, Meowth's never supersized before, so-"

"And what's this?! $46,000 on a…Potent Pink Jessie Princess Power Mark One…" Giovanni took a closer look at the paper, repeating his eye movements. "What the hell is that?!" Giovanni asked. The expression on his face was a mixture of surprise, anger and confusion rolled into one.

Jessie, reluctant to explain, thought fast. "Sir, we assure you that every one of our expenses were necessary in defeating Team Galactic…maybe not the breakfast…but when pitted against the likes of Team Galactic, victory is priceless," Jessie retorted, pressing a finger through her magenta hair.

Giovanni glared at the individual, frightening her with his angered eyes. "So, in total, you cost this organisation—" Giovanni sifted through the dozens of papers that cluttered not only his desk, but his mind. He eventually found one, scanning the notes until his eyes were met with the final total. "–fourteen-million dollars?!" Giovanni roared with outrage. "I send you to the Sinnoh region for just one year, and you spend fourteen-million dollars!" Giovanni slammed his hands against the desk furiously, spitting out wave after wave of anger. "You three!" The boss of Team Rocket raised a threatening hand, pointing a finger in the direction of the three agents, currently sweating bullets whilst their jelly legs held onto dear life. "I sent you to the Sinnoh region and all you bring me is the downfall of Team Galactic, who never even threatened our organisation in the first place?! Is that all you useless imbeciles could come up with?!"

"Well, it wasn't just that. I competed in the Grand Festival where I made it into the Top 4," Jessie boasted, crippled by her achievement.

"You competed in the Grand Festival?" he repeated with disbelief. "How come you didn't mention this before?"

"Why? Are you impressed?" she gloated, rubbing in her achievement whilst James and Meowth blushed in embarrassment. "I'll have you know that the great Team Rocket Agent Jessie was under the disguise of the lovely Jessilina throughout the entire competition. Brilliant, I know, but you don't have to congratulate me, Sir," Jessie told him with an irregular grin.

"And what did it bring to our organisation? You cost the company a fortune on makeup and outfits and all sorts of useless gimmicks to make you look like a clown at a child's party!" Giovanni shouted. "You three will have to make up this money someway or else you're all fired!" The Team Rocket trio froze with the idea of being fired from Team Rocket.

"Don't worry, boss, we'll repay you every cent that we owe you," Meowth confidently replied.

"Good. Because I have another assignment for you three," Giovanni said just as Meowth, Jessie and James awoke from their cocoon of terror. Giovanni closed his eyes, retrieving a piece of paper from a secret compartment in his desk. Giovanni then extended his long, suited arm where James took hold of the piece of paper, allowing his fellow members to have a glimpse of it. It was just a single organised paper with the recognised Team Rocket logo in the top right-hand corner. The words 'Top Secret' smothered the classified paper almost patronisingly. Below that were the few simple words in block capitals that spelled out 'Eliminate The Order of the Kuragari'. The three of them darted their eyes around the top secret piece of paper, double checking both sides for more details.

"Giovanni, Sir, I believe there's a bit of a mistake here," Jessie slowly said. "What are… 'The Order of the Kuragari'?" she asked, rereading the notes carefully.

Giovanni spun his chair around where his eyes were met with a view of Kanto. "A new form of tyranny has been brewing under our noses over the last couple of years. It's been only recently since they came out of hiding and dented our forces," Giovanni began explaining with the feeling of anxiety in his voice.

"What kind of tyranny?"

"The Order of the Kuragari are an organisation…" Giovanni explained, half-spinning his chair back in the direction of his agents.

"Well, so?" Meowth said. "If we can defeat those Team Galactic freaks, then what problem are these guys gonna be?"

"Take another look at the information," Giovanni sighed. "And tell me what you see."

The three of them had seen papers requesting assignments before by the boss, usually lengthening to over ten pages, crammed with information about their targets. "There is no info…"

"Exactly. Our spies lack any major details, what they look like, what Pokémon they have, etcetera." Giovanni said. "But they are a major threat to our organisation. They've suppressed us in terms of power, despite all our agents and money; they are an extremely dangerous organisation."

"Really? Why so?"

"Our Team Rocket has just over twelve-hundred members. Team Galactic had over seven-hundred, and even Team Magma and Aqua had over five-hundred members. But this new organisation…has only five members…" Giovanni said, thinking intensely, his mood now calmer than before.

"So…we have over twelve-hundred…and they have only five…but they're still stronger than us…?" James worked out logically.

"Some of our agents based in Sinnoh came across one of their five members. They say that the member told them that they would destroy Team Rocket if we ever got in our way. Everyone there withdrew a Pokémon, even the Kuragari member. It was five against one, and the battle was over in a single move," Giovanni explained worriedly. "The member left the scene with all of our Agents unconscious…" he added, striking fear into the Team Rocket trio. "I'm sure you are acquainted with Team Gamma, right?"

"Ermm…yes, go on," Jessie replied. Team Gamma were a minor Hoenn-based organisation that, since only recently, vanished.

"Well, it was those five members that wiped Team Gamma from the face of the planet…"

"How?"

"Through well-planned procedures. The five of them turned up at their headquarters in the middle of day. One stayed outside, and the others entered the building with their Pokémon out. Two hours later and the boss of Team Gamma was stripped of his clothes, tied up, and hanging from his feet over the edge of the building, announcing the immediate disbandment of Team Gamma," Giovanni explained. "That morning, they had just over three-hundred members inside the building; all of them were defeated by the four people that entered. Your mission is to eliminate these five people before they get too powerful. Understood?"

"Ermm…yes, but, Sir, what did the fifth man do?" James asked.

"He waited outside, and stood completely still for the two hours they were there," Giovanni replied. "What his purpose was or what he is meant for completely baffled our spies at the time. This is the exact reason why we need you three on the job…"

"Why is that, Sir?"

"Well, if a team of three can take down the _entire_ Team Galactic organisation, then surely you can do it again," Giovanni told them with false praise. The Team Rocket trio immediately stood up straight with their illusive pride. "After all, it's people like you who are the bricks and mortar of our beloved Team Rocket…" he added, again exploiting the trio's gullibility.

The three agents leaned in with one another. "Did you hear what he just said? He recognises our talent!" James squealed.

"It's about time as well," Jessie added.

"Sir, where do we start?" Meowth asked.

"One of our spies spotted an obscure looking man with red eyes a few miles off the south of Sinnoh after what looked like a heated conversation between himself and a Rayquaza. He also states that in the man's hand was a Master Ball. We assume he's going to be at the Ocera Conference in the coming days, so I'd advise that you start your search in Rosenvine City, and find out more about the red-eyed man. And if you find anything more about these five people, alert HQ at once, do you understand? Oh, and one more thing. If you happen to see some strange looking keys, just be sure to mention it to me, when you can."

"You can count on us, boss!" Meowth replied confidently. "A Master Ball, red eyes and funny-lookin' keys. Anything you ask for, we can do!"

"-And fourteen-million doll-"

"-And fourteen-million dollars, sir!"

"Good, in that case, I'm sending you three back to the Sinnoh region, immediately. So, get the hell out my office this instant and get rid of those five people!" Giovanni burst out angrily. "And if you spend another fourteen-million dollars, then you're all fired! So, don't screw this up!"

"Got it, boss!" the three agents said simultaneously, seemingly unfazed by Giovanni's outburst. They dashed out of the room at once, beginning their descent down the eighty-eight floors of Team Rocket Headquarters with keen smiles upon their faces.

"Well, well, well, looks like we've got ourselves a promotion!" Jessie squealed with her face overwhelmed with glee.

"See what I say? We had nothing to be ashamed of! Now all we've got to do is take down those five overrated blowhards and report back to the boss," Meowth said. "And hey, we could take part in the tournament at the same time! Maybe get ourselves that Jirachi wish, eh?"

"Meowth, you're a genius! And then we can wish for fourteen-million dollars!" James replied, overwhelmed with excitement.

"Or, I have a better idea; we wish for seventeen-million and then keep a million dollars each!" Jessie added, her idea filling her with illustrious pride.

"We're gonna be rich! Rich! Rich!"

A few moments passed after the Team Rocket trio exited where silence roamed the Team Rocket boss' office with its ghostly presence. Giovanni kept completely still with his eyes fixated at the previous footsteps of the Team Rocket trio. _Hmm…probably should've mentioned that four of the five Team Rocket agents were killed in that little incident…_ he thought.

His secretary, standing to his left, shifted her eyes to her right. "Giovanni, Sir, not at all a criticism, but do you believe those three are right for the job?" Giovanni's secretary, who had kept quiet up until now, said. "It's just that, they are, according to our database, the three least able agents in the whole of Team Rocket," she added sceptically, questioning her boss' judgement.

"Hmph. If they can disrupt the plans of Team Galactic, then why not five Pokémon Trainers? And if they do die…well, we'd save a lot of money," he said with a smile, "…but I doubt that such a thing would happen. They'll slow them down, which will give us just the right amount of time to begin our ascent on the Ocera Archipelago, and more importantly, that library."

He reached for his neck where he tugged on a string, slowly revealing an odd-shaped key, placing it on the table in front of him whilst his secretary tried her best not to fidget in surprise or shock.

"I see," she remarked, regaining her cool. "And would you happen to know who the other Key-holders are?"

Giovanni turned to his secretary with a devilish smile and his eyes sparking with brilliance. "I have an idea about one of the Key-holders… he's a young male with a very powerful Pokémon by his side – a Darkrai, to be exact. But I can't make my move just yet. I need to stand back and wait for the chaos to take over. Before long, the Key-holders will be killing each-other off, and that's when I come in to make my move. But if that Darkrai Trainer happens to still be alive by the time I make my move, then I'll have to hunt him down and kill him myself."


	5. Condensing The Crowds

**Jirachi's Wish **

**Chapter 5 **

**.:. Condensing the crowds .:.**

* * *

"Back from the Sinnoh region, Laurent?" an old, crippled voice found its way to the Captain's ear. The Captain knelt down on one knee, bowing down to his superior with his eyes kept close. The location of their meeting was kept secret due for obvious reasons, but in a hidden room in the Ocera Archipelago, two men met – Captain Laurent Haller, and King Warren of the Ocera Archipelago.

"Your majesty, sir," the Captain politely addressed before standing back up straight. "I've done as you've asked and alerted them of the situation, sir. I shall inform the Frontier Brains imminently, and anything that could potentially happen during the tournament could now be avoided," he added. He breathed, now acting a little calmer than before. "May I ask, how is Jirachi?"

"Jirachi…" the King murmured. Hiding from behind the large, gem-infused chair was the legendary Pokémon that kept the world's attention. "Oh, Jirachi, you're as beautiful as ever, and in good time, you'll change someone's life," he cheerfully added, cradling the Pokémon like a baby child.

"_Rachiii_," Jirachi yawned, resting peacefully in the King's arms with its eyes shut and a smile on its face.

"As happy as ever it seems," Laurent remarked, smiling at his King.

"I only wish I could be in the same position, Laurent," the King solemnly said in a sudden change of tone. The old man stood up from his throne, taking a few steps closer towards Laurent. "I'm dying, Laurent; dying fast, and I don't think I'll reach the end of this tournament, not at the rate that I am going," he coughed. Laurent immediately dived after the man, holding him as he rested him against his throne.

"Sir," Laurent, knowing full well of the truth, said with a heavy lump in his throat, "don't push yourself! You have to relax for the tournament, or at least pray that your health will improve. In the meantime, is there anything I can do for you? Anything at all? Any medication? Some sake?"

The King chuckled. "Sake! Oh, Laurent, there's a more important matter at hand than my health. The tournament! There's a problem with the tournament, and I'm not talking about the Ocera Library," he coughed, spluttering to the extent that it was hard for Laurent to watch his friend in pain.

"Sir, relax please, and tell me, what's the issue with the tournament?" Laurent asked quickly.

"It's as if everyone wants a piece of Jirachi, and now, there are so many people taking part… so many people…"

Laurent knew of the King's request in an instant. He lowered his head, thinking of his Frontier Brains and how they'd handle a situation like this. "You want me to find a way to eliminate the crowds, to separate the amateurs from the real Pokémon Trainers, is that what you're asking for?"

The King smiled graciously, raising in arms in marvel. "That's exactly what I'm asking for, my friend!" he proclaimed, choking once more. "And thank goodness, I stopped counting after twelve-hundred, so…" the King gestured, smiling with every last ounce of energy he had.

Laurent paused for a moment, thinking deeply. "I need to find a way to reduce the number of Pokémon Trainers down to one-hundred from over one-thousand-two-hundred…"

"I may not be able to see what you come up with, Laurent, but I know it's going to be brilliant. I'm going to rest now, but I want you to use your imagination, use the marvellous city to your advantage, and use your Frontier Brains. Oh, and that key you have…" the King stood up, holding his Jirachi in one hand and pointing at his friend. "…Just keep an eye out for what you see, and don't get yourself hurt. I don't want to look for someone else to do your job; that would be too stressful right about now."

Laurent smirked. Despite the fact that he has accepted the King as his superior, he'd consider his boss to be his only friend, and his closest friend. "Reducing the crowd from twelve-hundred to just one-hundred, hmm?"

* * *

The city that stood proudly at the forefront of the world was certainly no eyesore to the incoming tourists, Pokémon Trainers and spectators entering the world-famous city. As the masses of people left their boats and stepped onto land, an overwhelming feeling of entering a new world immersed with infinite opportunities surged through their bodies, almost like a shot of ecstasy, invigorating every soul with overwhelming excitement. The calmest of breezes flew amidst the innumerable trios that scattered the streets of Rosenvine, standing with pride next to their beloved Pokémon as they engaged in conversation or simply admired the beautiful city.

Towards the south of the city, countless structures skimmed the heavens, only to be dwarfed by a giant arc-shaped structure that pierced the sky entirely. Through the arc, a cleverly designed stadium rested, no doubt reminiscent of a Coliseum, where the world's focus and expectations rested for the next few days.

"At last, Rosenvine City!"" cheered Ash Ketchum with the widest of smiles on his face. The main streets of Rosenvine looked like something Ash had never seen before; a mysterious ingredient in the air seemed to be the welcoming force that brought out his trademark smile. "Just smell that fresh air… really is something you won't find anywhere else in the world. You guys, come check this out!"

Brock, Dawn, May and Barry, shortly followed by Palmer and Fleur who struggled the most to squeeze through the many crowds finally got into the open, gazing in awe at the captivating city.

"_Pi-Pikachu_!" Pikachu, his mouse-like Pokémon, chirped, equalling the enthusiasm of his partner.

"It's… it's just… so incredible…!" an awestruck young girl remarked, her eyes stunned into position with her mouth wide open. The Piplup that cutely rested in her arms was just as impressed at the immaculate beauty that the city bestowed. "It's so different to Twinleaf Town, but so beautiful. I don't think I've been in a place this big before!"

Giant holograms of some of the most mystifying Pokémon, giant in size and towering over just about everybody, scattered the magical city, enticing not only the crowds' eyes, but Ash's, too. One in particular, recognised to be Groudon, towered above all the others, bellowing a shattering roar that further enchanted the already overwhelmed Pokémon Trainers as the 'ooh's and 'aww's reckoned from the crowds.

"…Rosenvine City, eh?" an impressed Barry said, resting his arms against his hips with a boyish smile upon his face as he scanned the city. "Really is what I needed right about now, especially after being cooped up on a boat for the last few hours," he sighed, refreshing the muscles in his body with a well-needed stretch, "but at least we've arrived with more than enough time to look around." The Pokémon Trainer turned to his friends, raising an audacious eyebrow with a hint attached to his smirk.

"Well, let's see," Fleur sensibly slowed her excitement, pulling out a leaflet and analysing it with her finger. "It says that we've arrived at Rosenvine City, _obviously_, and all Trainers must report to the main stadium in just under an hour, so…" Her eyes scanned the page rapidly, picking up the bits of information that intrigued her the most "…let's see, museums, galleries – aha, Rosenvine City's world famous restaurants all border the edge of the city, right near the peer! A great view of the ocean, great food to eat! Oh, can we go? Can we, please?" she pleaded with the adorable tone.

Ash found himself struck for words once more, captivated by Pokémon raised from all corners of the world. He took another glance, taking in the sights of some of the most remarkable Pokémon they had ever seen; some rare, some beautiful.

But what caught his eye the most, was a familiar being standing beside a tall, muscular Pokémon.

As he wondered closer to the familiar Pokémon, he heard a louder, more aggressive argument taking place to his right, sundering his ear. He turned, immediately taken aback by the sudden image of an old rival at the centre of the argument, proudly standing with a sense of arrogance next to his Pokémon.

"…Paul?" Ash called out, waving a cheerful hand in his rival's direction.

His Electivire was the first to turn, looking down on the raven-haired individual with a belittling glimmer in his intimidating eyes. Soon after, however, Paul reluctantly turned his head to the side, examining Ash with a single eye.

"You …" he snapped with a hint of fatigue in his voice. He took a step back before facing the raven-haired Trainer with his whole body. A while had passed since the two Trainers had crossed paths, and since then, Paul had gotten a lot taller and muscular, the same goes for his Electivire who towered high above everyone. "It seems that you just can't get enough of me, can you? Don't you ever understand when tournaments are too good for you?"

"Hey, you back off him, Paul!" yet another familiar voice from behind Electivire called out, the same voice that belonged to someone whom Ash had met up with in Twinleaf Town, Kenny. Electivire turned, revealing the young Pokémon Co-ordinator. He didn't look his best, dripping with sweat and the tiredness showing on his eyes.

"Kenny!" Dawn screamed, dashing over to Kenny's side. "What happened?"

"Another Co-ordinator thinking that you can take part in a Trainer-designed tournament. Don't get me wrong, you're both good at what you do, but you won't stand much chance in this tournament," Paul remarked, standing over Kenny and Dawn with a bullying smirk on his face. "And as for you, Ash," he began, glaring at the raven-haired character who looked a little infuriated, "I somehow get the impression you're not going to make it far either. Aside from your Pikachu, you're just as pathetic as the rest of your Pokémon."

"You're forgetting that my Pokémon beat yours back at the Sinnoh League! And with me around, there isn't a chance I'll let you beat me and win this tournament."

"Are you really that stupid to believe that I came to this tournament so I can prove a point and gain redemption? How pathetic, Ash. But if you want to believe that all there is in these tournaments is the chance to win, then you can live in your one-dimensional world."

"What are you trying to say, Paul?" Ash asked, calming a little.

"I didn't think someone like you would understand, Ash. The Sinnoh League was just the first step - the sandbox; the testing grounds. Now I know the full potential of my Pokémon, this tournament is already over. Not only that, but I've been hearing rumours that'll-"

"Relax a little, Paul," calmly spoke a female voice from the crowd that had gathered up. "Or do you need reminding of your second encounter with Brandon, my little gem," she slyly remarked, winking. Paul scowled, facing away from the woman with hate and disgust.

"…Brooke," Paul growled, turning his back against the young girl.

"All that work and Brandon almost put you on the verge of tears," she tauntingly said. Paul gave one final glare to the girl before leaving with his Electivire storming through the crowds like an immovable object, not bothering to look back at Ash or continue is conversation. The young girl breathed, brimming an accomplished smile whilst blowing a strand of hair that fell into her eyesight.

"Brooke! Haha!" Palmer chuckled, hugging the young girl with his strong arms before releasing the girl. "What's it been? Two years? Three years?!"

"Five days," Brooke replied without expression. "Don't get me wrong, Palmer, it's always nice to see you, but we have an important job to do in just under an hour's time."

"Oh, that can wait! Guys, meet Brooke!" Palmer held out a hand in the direction of Brooke who politely nodded to the ensemble in front of her. "She's a Frontier Brain, and in her spare time, she's a treasure hunter."

"A treasure hunter?!" Ash and his friends spoke in disbelief. Brooke nodded, puffing her chest with pride.

"But you can't be much older than me!" Barry questioned, analysing the Frontier Brain with his finger against his chin, shooting his eyes at all different sides of the girl. "How'd you get so good so soon? Tell me your secrets!"

"Son of a Palmer! He's just like you, you know?" Brooke said, surprised, facing Palmer with her eyes wide and mouth agape and totally ignoring Barry's question. "You flatter me, little Palmer, but I'm just not interested right now."

"Yes, that's usually how genetics work."

"Erm, if you don't mind me asking, Brooke," Brock began, "just how old are you?"

"No older than your friend over here," she slyly replied, swaggering up to Ash and his Pikachu with an uncanny form of lust in her eye. "And you must be Ash Ketchum, correct?" she asked, moving her head particularly close to his.

"Erm, y-yes," he replied with a blush, stuttering a little with his eyes fixated on hers.

"Cool, so I was right," Brooke added, now facing her fellow Frontier Brain. "So apparently, Palmer, there's news going around about this treasure kept in a hidden library, and I was just wondering if you'd have any information on it for me. You know, like, where it is, how to get in, etcetera?"

Palmer stood firm, the expression on his face going into full seriousness. "This is one treasure that I can't let you get your hands on, Brooke. The Captain will give his full opinion on the matter soon enough, but he's asked us to help out on something very important," he explained to the young girl.

"I see. Forgive me," she apologised modestly. "I suppose we should all head to the main stadium right now. Right over there, the Ocera Coliseum." She pointed far across city, almost reaching the horizon where a great light shone over what seemed like a gigantic stadium. "And don't worry about that Paul guy," she winked, facing at Kenny who stood suspiciously close to Dawn's side. "They just got into a little argument, those two. But if Paul even makes it into the top one-hundred, then you'll have to worry about him, though! Anyway, let's get movin-"

"Top… one-hundred…" slurred Ash in a state of shock, as did Barry, May, Fleur, Dawn and Brock. "What do you mean top one-hundred?" They all gazed around at each other, and then back to Brooke.

"Oh, that was meant to be a secret," Brooke gasped, holding her hand over her mouth with her eyes wide. "Bah! Who cares? I suppose they were gonna tell you one day, anyway. But basically, do whatever you can to make it into the top one-hundred Pokémon Trainers here," she whispered, eyeing to her left and right for any listeners. "Trust me, I'm a Frontier Brain," she added, winking in particular at Ash.

"This top one-hundred seems new. Even I've been kept in the blue about this one," Palmer confessed, holding his hands up. "Must've been a last minute decision, so just keep your wits about you. But anyway," he said, clasping his hands together, "Brooke's right; we should really get going to the main stadium. Onwards!"

* * *

Upon entering the Ocera Coliseum, what Ash felt almost through him off his feet – a sudden wave of nostalgia, the feeling of being back in a Pokémon stadium with the numbers too high to even begin counting. Rows and rows rose to the heavens with every last seat filled with die-hard Pokémon fans from all over the world. The grass floor, standing in the majesty of the many hundreds of thousands of people, was littered with Pokémon Trainers, all with their Pokémon out in the open, giving Ash an opportunity to familiarise himself with the competition. Cheers and calls along with confetti rained from the sky continuously as the number of Pokémon in the stadium increased, walking alongside their more than ready Trainers. Calls and cheers, banners with names of some of the most famous and favoured Pokémon Trainers scattered the stadiums with each fan group bursting with joy.

"Wonder if I'll get my own fan-group one day," Brock quietly questioned to himself, resting a finger against his chin.

"Brock, you're competing?" Ash asked, wondering up to his older friend with a beaming smile. "It's been quite a while since we fought in competition like this."

"I guess the last time was back in Hearthome City, and man that was a while back, but this time, my chances are as high as anyone else's, not to mention who knows how many gorgeous girls I'm going to meet if I win!" Brock squealed, his love-struck eyes and deluded expression calling for his Toxicroak that crept up from behind him. "I can vision it now, Ash! Not just one Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny, but I could wish for three of each if I win this tournament-"

Toxicroak's Poison Jab silenced Brock's fantasies in a flash – a direct hit. He croaked, politely nodding at Ash before dragging his groaning Trainer away, collecting a few laughs from the myriad of Pokémon Trainers and Pokémon alike that watched Brock's antics.

"That's a lot of Pokémon, huh," Ash awed, gazing in particular at a rather large Torterra that strode past him, the Grass-type eyeing Ash with a crippling glare.

"_Pikachuu…_" Pikachu agreed.

"And I suppose where there's Pokémon Trainers, though, there's old friends," Ash suddenly said with a beaming smile. It didn't take the raven-haired Trainer long to notice some of his old rivals. Paul, obviously, was the first one he noticed, standing side-by-side with his Electivire, and even Tyson with his Meowth, Annabel with her Espeon, but one particular appearance that sent a cold shiver through his spine was a Trainer he had come across not so long ago.

Moving through the crowd like a ghost, the expression on his face remained perfectly the same. The Pokémon that followed him, though, brought back so many recent memories for Ash – a Darkrai. The Trainer that beat Ash in the Sinnoh League only a few weeks beforehand caught the Trainer's attention and began approaching with each step emitting an eerie aura.

"Is that…?" May stammered, wide-eyed.

"-the Darkrai trainer?" Fleur finished her sentence, also stunned.

"…It's Tobias…" Dawn said just as everyone gasped. The Darkrai trainer stepped closer in Ash's direction, showing a friendly smile as he got closer.

"Ash, we meet once again," Tobias greeted, his Darkrai standing by his side. "As always, it's nice to see a familiar face in a foreign land."

"It's great to see you again, too, Tobias. Man, I got a little worried; with you here, I can't see how other people really stand a chance, but I'll do my best to beat you!" Ash courageously replied with a tint of flattery.

"_Pika-pikachu_!" Pikachu cheered, punching the air with enthusiasm.

"I admire your determination, Ash. But in a tournament where the unexpected is to be expected, I'm afraid even the least experienced Trainer could come from behind and take victory," Tobias wisely explained, bowing his head. He looked back up into the crowds, frowning slightly.

_Somewhere… somewhere here are the keys I need_, he thought to himself. _But with no map, no clues, and only my Darkrai… bah! This is going to be harder than I thought it would_. _And all these people… so many people here_. Even for the victor of the Sinnoh League, standing before the sheer number of Pokémon fans in the audience made even him feel insignificant.

"You can't underestimate anyone here, Ash," Tobias added with a serious expression. "There must be over a thousand competitors here, and not one of them could guess what's coming up next."

"I guess you're right," Ash acknowledged. "So how's it been since you won the Sinnoh League?"

Tobias beamed. With little effort, he stormed his way through the Lily of the Valley Conference, only encountering a minor problem when facing Ash, before heading to the final and taking victory with only the aid of his Darkrai. "My first battle against the Elite Four is to begin shortly after this tournament ends, and I'm looking forward to it," he informed, giving a heartfelt smile to his old friend.

"Attention, ladies and gentleman!" a booming voice sounded from high above the stadium. Revealing himself into the open and gazing down at the hundreds of thousands of people in the stadium, a man smiled. First noticed by the crowds was his thick, navy hair, shortly followed by his uniform that boasted authority.

Ash smiled, too, recognising the man from a mile away to be Captain Laurent Haller.

"Is that the Captain?" May asked, creeping up from the side of Ash with her Blaziken towering high above them both.

"Yep, that looks like Laurent to me," Ash replied.

"You know this guy?" Tobias asked, awaiting a confirmation with obvious intrigue.

"Yeah, we met him in Twinleaf Town just yesterday," Ash said to the Darkrai Trainer. "He's actually a really friendly guy. Bit weird, though."

"…I see," Tobias slowly and quietly said. He glared hard at the Captain, almost as if he was trying to stare right through him.

"As Rosenvine City's Captain of the Guard, I, Laurent Haller, welcome every one of you to the Ocera Conference!" he boomed. As a response from the crowd, the stadium shook with the incredible number of Pokémon fans jumping to their feet in applause and excitement bursting out from them. Laurent smiled, politely throwing a silencing wave that calmed the audience after what seemed like an eternity. "But this first meeting of ours is not without some regrets, no. I regret to inform you all of two things. Firstly, the King's condition is so that he will be unable to attend this first meeting of ours. Secondly, there are exactly one-thousand-three-hundred-and-twelve Pokémon Trainers…" After the short but powerful cheer that responded from the crowds below him, Laurent continued, "…and by the end of the day, there will be no more than one-hundred of you remaining!"

Laurent smiled, his vision of the master plan he had come up with was finally falling into place. Down below, there was a different story. Mix feelings of confusion, surprise and shock riddled its way from Trainer to Trainer, each one taking steps closer to their Pokémon in caution.

Laurent held his hand into the open, and in an instant, a giant hologram appeared in the very middle of the stadium, listing every one of the Trainers alongside their picture. "Do not be alarmed. Do be patient and I will explain. As a way of cutting down the crowds from the many of you that exist to the top one-hundred, a game has been designed. You may call it your 'first challenge'," he said, secretly enjoying the power he wielded over the Pokémon Trainers.

"The top one-hundred Trainers…" Ash murmured, facing the ground with a sense of horror overcoming his face. "Brooke mentioned the top one-hundred Trainers, but I'd never thought that this was what she meant."

"As you entered this stadium today, you and your Pokémon were secretly tagged. When your Pokémon faints or you as a Trainer take too much damage, your tag will fall off and you will be eliminated from the tournament and your name will vanish from the board. The aim of this game, you may ask? Survival…" Laurent boomed from above. "Rosenvine City will be your playing ground and your objective is to survive 'til there are one-hundred Pokémon Trainers remaining with your tag still intact. Call it a 'battle royale', if you will. What are you running from? Allow me to introduce the hunters in this game."

Entering through the darkness, eight figures strolled in formation onto the battlefield, glaring intimidatingly at their opponents, each one recognised around the world by their Pokémon battling expertise and skill. Many gasps and cheers burst from areas of the audience in favour of the hunters of the Captain's game.

"I present to you the eight Frontier Brains of the Sinnoh Battle Frontier!"

An explosive cheer shattered the sky with the suspense in the stadium rising exponentially. For the Pokémon Trainers, however, many of them shook with fear at what had come across them. Ash and his friends scanned the eight Frontier Brains, recognising Brooke and Palmer, but the many other figures were unknown to him, ranging from all different shapes and sizes, but not looking any less scary than the next.

"The Frontier Brains will all have their Pokémon and will seek to eliminate you from the competition. It is your job to survive the battle royale until we have one-hundred Trainers remaining. I should, of course, warn you that anywhere outside Rosenvine City would be out of bounds and would result in instant elimination if you so happen to step outside," Laurent informed, getting more and more excited as time progressed. He clicked in fingers once more and many other holograms appeared around the stadium; shown on the holograms were the many areas around the beautiful city, clearly for the spectators' comfort.

"This… how do we survive…?" Fleur stuttered. She looked on the verge of crying if it were not for her Gardevoir there to comfort her.

"I guess we can run or hide from the Frontier Brains," Dawn sensibly said, tightening her grip on the Piplup that rested nervously in her arms, shaking. "But hiding until over a thousand Trainers are eliminated…"

"If your Pokémon or you fall, your chance at winning the tournament would be reduced to zero. Feel free to knock out your competition at will; after all, there are only one-hundred places in the next round."

Yet another wave of fear passed through the Pokémon Trainers. They all took steps away from one another. New friends made that day instantly vanished with the lust for survival now being the main focus.

"Hunt or be hunted! Chase or hide in any place you find! If the Frontier Brains don't find you, then watch your back for your friends! Guard your tag with anything you can, and, with luck on your side, you may survive to make the top one-hundred Pokémon Trainers and become one step closer in winning the tournament and the chance to win any one wish from the King's Jirachi!"

A nervous, but ambitious cheer reckoned from the audience as a sixty-second timer appeared on one of the many holograms scattered around the city.

"You have sixty seconds to run, hide or simply wait to take your opponents' tags! Once the timer hits zero, the game will begin and the Frontier Brains will make their first move."

The instant the timer ticked a second, screams and calls cried from the many Pokémon Trainers who dashed to the exits, or flew from their Pokémon into Rosenvine City.

"Ladies and gentleman, welcome to the first challenge in the Ocera Conference! Rosenvine City's Battle Royale… begin!"

The Pokémon Trainers continued to exit the stadium at a remarkable speed, dashing with their dreams on the edge of being taken away from them. As expected of Laurent and the Frontier Brains, the number of Pokémon Trainers exited the stadium at an alarming rate, all except one Trainer, though.

Standing directly in the middle of the battlefield, a tallish male stood, brimming a pitch-white smile at the Captain from up above. The Captain looked down at the Trainer, and with a perplexed expression, he rubbed his neck, feeling the thinning piece of string that held one of the eight keys he sought.

The timer struck thirty, and just as it did, his Pokémon, a fantastically rare Zoroark, came dashing from the stands towards his Trainer before crawling around his body like a hyperactive child, and it was at that point that the Trainer stopped smiling, and, with a cool flick of his hand, brushed his hair to the side, revealing two blood-red eyes. He turned around almost immediately, facing the exit with his smile recovered.

"Zoroark, is it true? Is Master right?" the red-eyed man quietly said to the Dark-type that kept still for a moment as he listened to his Trainer. "Did you find something around the Captain's neck?"

The Zoroark hissed, its fangs bared as the man swayed side to side as he walked out of the stadium alone, each sway catching with the wind that flew his white overcoat back like a cape.

"Perfect! Excellent, even. Well sought out, Zoroark. The Order of the Kuragari now has their target, but not just the organisation; Rayquaza better be careful, because that Captain is going to get me one step closer to him…" Zoroark let out a short cackle before dashing around the red-eyed man's body. "If he's a Key-holder like you said, then these next few days are going to be interesting."

* * *

**Poll is now up. Feel free to vote or pm or post in a review for your favourite female for Ash x ...  
**


	6. Mystery – The Dreamer

**Regarding the poll, I've given the freedom of two choices because one didn't feel like enough, but I'm also planning to give Ash x … moments to the majority on the poll list.**

* * *

**Jirachi's Wish**

**Chapter 6**

**.:. Mystery – The Dreamer .:.**

Silence roamed Rosenvine City like an ominous ghost. Pokémon Trainers taking part in Rosenvine City's Battle Royale took on the initiative of running and hiding from the Sinnoh Frontier Brains, knowing very well that their chance in defeating them in battle was small. An occasional blast and dust cloud reckoned from the distance, shaking the ground as the Frontier Brains continued their hunt in the Captain's game.

"There…!" Palmer suddenly said, shooting a finger from behind a wall where a Trainer hid with his Golem standing in front of him. "Rhyperior, Megahorn!"

On command, Rhyperior's horn glowed a striking white. A new-found power drove Rhyperior forward, cumulating speed as the fearful Trainer merely watched with the charging Rock-type closing in at an alarming rate. Upon impact, Golem flew through the air, colliding with another wall, rendering it immobile.

Palmer, victorious in his little, albeit one-sided, skirmish, looked up back at the stadium in the distance where a name vanished from holographic screen. "Another one down, and not too many more to go," he quietly said with a smile as he continued his hunt. He turned a corner, observing a fellow Frontier Brain as she watched from shadows two Pokémon Trainers fighting it out in hopes of removing one another's tag that kept them in the game.

"Gallade, end it with Drain Punch!" one of the Pokémon Trainers commanded. As his opponent's Jigglypuff charged in, Gallade leapt backwards, dodging his opponent's Double Edge before leaping off the side of a building and enveloping his fist in a purple energy that pounded against the side of the Jigglypuff.

"_Jiggly_…" Jigglypuff, stripped from its tag, sank into the ground, exhausted from its engagement with the Fighting-Type.

"Yes, Gallade!" the Trainer cheered. "Now, c'mon, let's get out of here before-"

"Clap, clap, clap," Brooke, exiting the shadows and entering the light, sarcastically taunted the Trainer with a girlish smirk. "That fight was fun to watch, but I'm afraid to say that fighting out here in the streets has left you open," she added. Strutting closer and closer the Pokémon Trainer, Gallade entered a fighting stance, standing in between the Frontier Brain and his master.

"Stay back! I'm not afraid to fight you! I've beat the Hoenn Battle Frontier, you know!" the Trainer remarked, gritting his teeth. "And who are you anyway, you must be fifteen?"

"That's cute," Brooke winked, "but this fight is already over. Sorry, kid."

"Don't taunt me! Gallade, Drain-"

Blasting from the surface and with a charged uppercut, Brooke's Infernape came beneath the ground, bursting onto the streets with a punch to the Gallade's body, pelting the surprised Pokémon out of the competition.

"Oh, Brooke," Palmer said, shaking his head as the Trainer fell to his knees in awe and shock. "Playing mean tactics on innocent Pokémon Trainers again?"

"Well, after about forty of them, I like to mix it up a little," she replied, winking.

"Just forty Pokémon Trainers? Ha! I've just reached my eightieth! Poor Rhyperior's a bit tired, aren't you, buddy?" Palmer said, resting a hand against the weary Rhyperior's horn. "About three hours in and just three-hundred Pokémon Trainers remain in the competition. Give it a couple more hours and we'll have our final one-hundred."

Brooke paused for a moment. "Palmer, can I ask you something?" Brooke asked, facing up at the Frontier Brain. "That Ash Ketchum, he's still in the game, right?"

The Frontier Brain's eyes widened. "Bah! Worried about Ash, are we? I never knew you had a sweet side, Brooke!" Palmer taunted, leaning over with a tantalising smile.

Brooke immediately blushed, stamping a heavy foot against Palmer's boot, throwing the big man off his feet. "Don't say those things! And besides, I just wanted to know if he was going to make it into the next round or not. It's not like I find him cute or anything…idiot," she puffed, folding her arms while her reddened cheeks settled slowly. "I just want to know if he's still in!"

"I choose not to worry about Ash, Barry, Dawn, or any of them whatsoever. They have an uncanny way of making it through these things, so there's no need to worry!"

* * *

"You think it's safe yet? I'm gonna take a look-"

"Ash, I swear, if you look one more time we'll get caught!" another voice hissed at the raven-haired Trainer.

All seemed at peace on the main streets of Rosenvine City, but basking within the shelter of the trees that loomed, Ash and his friends, alongside their Pokémon, kept perfectly still in hopes of not attracting attention from the passing Frontier Brains. Balancing on the branches from above the ground, the objective of the game had changed from hiding for dear life to keeping as quiet as possible whilst balancing on the branches.

"If we don't make it into the top one-hundred, then every last one of you is going to get fined!" Barry hissed, peeping down from across the streets where he watched a Trainer get pummelled by a Frontier Brain's Hitmontop. "Ouch. Hate to be that guy."

"Why are they doing this anyway?" Dawn quietly asked, tightly holding onto her Piplup that slept in the midst of the mayhem. "You think they're searching for the keys to the library?"

Brock shifted, facing his Sinnoh friend whilst his mind worked to come up with a reply. "I guess from this, the Frontier Brains can come up with two things. Firstly, if you get eliminated then stay in the Ocera Archipelago instead of going back to your home region, then that would make you a suspect. Secondly, anyone in the top one-hundred is clearly a skilled enough Trainer, and it would be easier to search a hundred Trainers than over a thousand," he deduced.

"I see, but what if a Key-holder is not a Pokémon Trainer?" Dawn asked.

"I'm not sure what happens then…" Brock replied. "I guess the only thing we can do now is hope we make it into the top one-hundred."

Down below, scanning the streets, a large, extremely well-built man ambled through the streets, each step he took sending a mini-tremor through the ground. Walking by his side was an Abomasnow that looked just as muscular as he did, the ground and greenery surrounding the Ice-type beginning to freeze as they passed.

"Okay, Pokémon Trainers, where are you hiding?" he boomed, throwing his thick, greyish-hair to one side. The giant coat he wore to the occasion only made the man look more intimidating, but when pitted against the warm sunlight, he looked out of place. "The cold winds are calling, and you better answer soon!" he roared.

Less than ten metres away from the giant man, the seven Pokémon Trainers that hid in the tree all watched as the giant man continued to parade, his eyes darting in all directions in the hope of attaching his gaze onto any straddling Pokémon Trainers.

"_Aboma_!" Abomasnow called out, immediately fixating his attention on the tree where the seven Pokémon Trainers did all they could to keep hidden. He tilted his spine backwards before raising his arms above his head. A large blue ball of energy formed as thick shards of ice shot out from all directions before the dual-type unleashed the beam of ice upon the tree.

"Dodge it!"

Instinctively, all seven Pokémon Trainers dived out of the tree, now enveloped in a coat of ice with razor-sharp shards sticking out from all angles. Dazed and stunned by the attack, the seven Pokémon Trainers dashed to their feet, facing the Frontier Brain.

"You should be proud," he told them. "You guys were so close to the top one-hundred. I guess you could call me cold-hearted for not letting you through-"

"-Flamethrower!"

A blast of heat shot out from the side, completely containing the Abomasnow and his Trainer. As the fire and resulting smoke cleared up, the Trainer, similar to his Pokémon, cranked their heads in the direction of the blast of fire with little patience.

"So," the Frontier Brain said, "you think you're smart taking on a Frontier Brain like me! Then I accept your challenge."

The seven Pokémon Trainers turned to the source of the heat. Standing next to a large, fire-infused Pokémon with tubular arms in the shape of cannons, immediately recognised by Ash and his friends to be a Magmortar, a confident looking male smirked at the Frontier Brain.

"Hmph. Someone should've told you that I was coming," he said, running a hand through his spiked, brown hair. Upon realisation, Ash's whole body froze the moment he saw the Frontier Brain's opponent. "I'll have you know my got ten Pokémon League badges on my first journey. Impressed?" he gloated, bravely smiling.

"That's…Gary?" Ash quietly said, registering the man to be his old rival. "Gary Oak."

Gary averted his gaze for a second to look back at Ash. "Well, well, Ashy-boy. In need of some help?" Ash didn't reply, still stunned by the sudden arrival of an old friend. "Don't get me wrong, I can't defeat this guy, but I could hopefully stall him until we all make it into the top one-hundred Trainers. Leaf!"

Dashing from the sides with her Wigglytuff leading the charge, a brown-haired girl sporting a red skirt and a cutely placed white hat drove insight of the Frontier Brain, now outnumbered by a large margin. "Double Edge!"

Wigglytuff leapt into the air, pulling her arm back for a split-second before aiming her fist straight at her opponent's Abomasnow. Just as the Balloon Pokémon was able to make contact with the Ice-type, the giant Pokémon slickly turned to the side, dodging the attack.

"Solid attempt. And now that it's nine versus one, and knowing that your plan is to stall me, I'm going to tell you that I can't just let that happen," he roared, his Abomasnow pumped with anticipation. "I run that Battle Tundra at the very top of the Sinnoh region. They call me Snow King Donavon. And believe me, Abomasnow knows how to fight!"

Ash and his friends prepared themselves, taking formation around the man in the shape of a nine-pointed star.

"Piplup!"

"Empoleon!"

"Pikachu!"

"Marshtomp!"

"Magmortar!"

"Wigglytuff!"

"Gardevoir!"

"Heracross!"

"Blaziken!"

In an instant, nine flashes of light morphed into nine Pokémon, glaring at the Abomasnow with the excitement pulsating through their veins.

Donavon smirked, raising his head up high. "No time like the present, they say. Let's begin this! Abomasnow, Blizzard!"

* * *

Many creative methods of hiding struck the minds of the myriad of Pokémon Trainers, each confident that they chose hiding places that would keep the Frontier Brains guessing, turning the Battle Royale into more of a game of wits, but for three Pokémon Trainers deep below the onslaught on the surface, the Rosenvine City sewers kept them safe from the Frontier Brains.

"Genius plan, Meowth!" James said, punching the air with an overwhelmed smile. He seemed somewhat a little too happy as he paraded with an overgrown grin through the sewers of Rosenvine City.

"See what I toldy'a! No one would even think of checking down here!" Meowth remarked, also overwhelmed with cheer as his paws dug deep into the output of Rosenvine City's population.

"Okay, seriously, guys, how can you put up with that smell?" Straggling from behind with her hands pinching her nose with excessive force and each step taking an eternity, Jessie, rather reluctantly, followed her co-workers.

"I'm actually rather used to it!" James happily replied, turning back with a smile.

"After we make into to the top one-hundred, then we can finally begin what the boss said and find those keys," the Scratch Pokémon told his friends.

"It'd be useful if, I don't know, he _explained_ what these keys look like!" Jessie screamed, her echo travelling far into the catacombs of Rosenvine's underworld.

"Or what the keys do."

"Or where we could find them."

They all paused, looking at one another with just as much confusion as the next.

"Let's take a break," Jessie sighed, stepping from the thick sludge to the paved area of a sewer. She brushed a hand through her magenta hair before sighing sinking against the wall. "This _key_ business is going to be harder than we thought. No leads, no names…"

"But we were told to look out for a red-eyed man," James pointed out, leaning forwards.

"And something about the Order of the Kuragari stuff, whatever dat's all about," Meowth added.

"Then tell me, boys," Jessie slowly said, cranking her neck in the direction of her two co-workers, "did any of you happen to hear anything about the Order of the Kuragari, or did any of you notice a red-eyed man as we came here?"

"What's with the negative attitude, Jessie? You're lowering team morale."

"Yeah, that's all that's keeping us together. And besides, we'll learn more of this stuff later. Let's just make it into the top one-hundred first," Meowth said.

Footsteps came crashing through the thick sludge at a briskly pace, each sound getting louder and louder, as if approaching the Team Rocket trio. Immediately, they jerked their heads in the direction of the footsteps before moving out of the majesty of the light and into the embrace of the shadows. They kept their eyes wide-open, hearing every sound of the approaching figure that was also hidden from the trio.

"Please let it not be a Frontier Brain… Please let it not be a Frontier Brain… Please let it not be a Frontier Brain."

Entering the light, a red-eyed man scanned the scene with a frozen expression. The Zoroark continued to scurry around his body, but staying well away from the man's legs in an attempt at getting away from the smell from below. The red-eyed man seemed ignorant of the ghastly smell, however, as he continued on.

"…The red-eyed man…" James quietly whispered, to his Team Rocket companions, their mouths agape and eyes shivering with wonder and fear at once. The red-eyed man's presence shook the agents as they tried to do all they can to keep hidden from the man who edged himself closer and closer to the hidden agents.

"Dat's the guy who the boss was having trouble with," Meowth acknowledged. "He's the guy who's been talkin' with Rayquaza… the guy who has the Master Ball."

They all froze once more, cumulating all the knowledge they have of the man to come to the conclusion on just how dangerous the red-eyed man actually was. Each step he took only increased his threat as he trudged through without much care of his setting.

"He sounds strong-"

The red-eyed man suddenly stopped. A mere three-metres to his right, the Team Rocket Agents kept all they could to stay hidden from the red-eyed man, shaking and trembling under the intimidation of his presence.

"Zoroark," the man calmly said to his Pokémon who immediately jumped to his shoulder. "There's someone here, so I want you to eradicate them for me." His voice was seemed so calm and convective as a Zen-like expression crossed his face; his composure unmatched when in comparison to those within the Rosenvine City sewers. "Do you see them, Zoroark?"

The Zoroark that rested upon his shoulder took a slow, clear glance of the surrounding area, scanning right through the Team Rocket trio who held their hearts in their mouths before fixating his gaze at the distant darkness.

"_Zoru-za_!" Zoroark screeched, baring his wide fangs.

"I see… Focus Blast-!"

"-Dark Pulse!"

Two incoming blasts of energy crashed together between the darkness and the red-eyed man, the resulting explosion creating a dust cloud where, opposite to the Zoroark Trainer, a figure appeared with another floating silhouette to its side.

"Nice reflexes," a confident, well-mannered voice sounded from behind the cloud of dust. A moment passed, and a Darkrai was revealed, posing next to his Trainer with a feeling of mystery induced in his eyes. The Trainer himself was soon to be revealed – a proud standing male with long, greyish-blue hair. "And I was imagining I would be the only one who would ever think of coming down here."

"Tobias…" the red-eyed man murmured with a scowl. His Zoroark stood, ready to battle for his master at any moment. "Don't you think this tournament is a little out of _your league_?!" The red-eyed man shot a commanding hand at Tobias, and shortly followed was another blast of energy from his Zoroark. "Don't try and think you can knock me out so easily, young man! You have no idea who I am!"

"Your name and who you are is of very little importance to me! Darkrai, Dark Void!"

Darkrai leapt back into the darkness where he summoned a circular void of dark matter, propelling it straight towards his opponent.

"Zoroark, Protect!" He smiled, and as the attack came closer to him, a thick, turquoise wave appeared to absorb Darkrai's attack. "Truth be told, Tobias. We could exhaust our Pokémon's energy, or put this silly bickering behind us, and let's talk, hm?"

Tobias, half-turned at the man, grimaced, suspiciously eyeing him and his Zoroark that stayed on guard. "Talk? What is there to talk about?" Darkrai, to the right of Tobias, took on a battling stance, ready for a command from his master. "Pokémon Trainers are fighting with everything they have and you just want to _talk_?" he sceptically said.

"You have no idea who I am, but I'm going to tell you this now, Tobias; of the many Pokémon Trainers that have turned up today, you strike me as odd, Tobias. Not because you are highly skilled, but you look as if you're here for something else. Obviously, I'm just guessing, but, assuming we are in the same situation, I, too, have come to Rosenvine City and the Ocera Archipelago for much more than the King's Jirachi," the red-eyed man told him, the tone in his voice compact with a threatening sound.

"What do you mean?" Tobias glared at the man, attempting to unnerve him with a harsh glare. "You tell me that you believe my reason to be in this tournament is not just to display my battling prowess to the world? A world-famous Pokémon Trainer like myself?"

"Don't flatter yourself, Tobias. You're bothering me a little, so I'm just going to go out and say it. I wish for you to answer me this question: do you have any keys?"

Tobias instantly froze, his composure and confidence clearly insignificant to his opponent. "Keys…what keys are you talking about?"

The Team Rocket trio, who did all they could to stay hidden from the duelling powerhouses, listened carefully once the keys were mentioned.

"I think you know all too well, Tobias. I can see it. I can see it around your neck. A key to the Ocera Libra-"

"Darkrai, Ice Beam!" Darkrai immediately reacted, summoning a beam of ice that cast its way at the red-eyed man. He sighed, tilting his head to the side where the blast of frozen water flew right past him, crashing into the background.

"Nice reflexes?" he chuckled. "But seriously, stop doing that. I'd rather just talk to you. After all, we could be of aid to one another." Tobias didn't answer, prompting the red-eyed man to continue. "I can give you more information about the keys, but there's something I wish for in return…"

"Tell me first, how do you know about the keys?" Tobias asked, now a little calmer. "Do you know about other Key-holders? Do you know where the library is located? -No- first, answer me this: Are you a Key-holder, too?"

The red-eyed man widened his eyes, and without taking away his glare from the Sinnoh League Champion, he pulled a string from around his neck where an odd-shaped key put a smile back on Tobias' face.

"And what do you seek from the Ocera Library?" Tobias asked.

"There's… a little something in the library. It'll reunite me with an old friend of mine, but that is all I'm going to tell you about right now."

"It appears that what we seek from the library is different to one another," Tobias acknowledged. "But for as long as you seek the keys, you're my enemy."

The red-eyed man scowled. "Enemy? You're too quick to judge, Tobias. For all you know, by the end of our meeting, I could be the greatest thing that would ever happen to you."

"And what makes you say that? The only thing I'd ever want from you is your key. You don't come off as someone stupid enough to simply hand it over," Tobias explained. "And you couldn't be anything great to me, not without a name." A small pause silenced the sewers where only the faint droplets of water falling from the catacombs echoed around the chambers. "So before we talk more, tell me your name!" Tobias demanded once more, becoming slightly infuriated at how little he knew of the man. "Your Pokémon is rare. Your eyes are pitch red. Tell me your name!"

"My name… yes, my name. Well, I'm afraid to say, Tobias, that I merely entered this tournament under an alias. My real name has gone and I have no recollection of it, either. It's a shame, but my master has granted me a new name. A name that gives me identity and something to live by!"

"Your master?" Tobias curiously said, looking at his opponent with intrigue.

"My master. You see, I'm part of this special organisation. My organisation seeks to enter the Ocera Library, and all of us will do anything for Master. After all, Master gave me identity!"

"Master… what does Master call you, then?"

"Master calls me by new name… Nightmare!"

A numbing feeling was induced into the heads of those present in the Rosenvine City sewers, each pair of eyes quivering violently, bloodshot and fearful. The Team Rocket agents quickly looked at each other then back at the scene, not wanting to miss a single detail that poured out from the two Pokémon Trainers in front of them.

"Nightmare… why are you telling me all this?" Tobias asked, now slightly intimidated by the man's name. "I thought you wanted my key!"

"I do, but I know you're not just going to hand it over. I propose a deal, Tobias." Nightmare took a moment to pause, gazing right not at Tobias, but at the Dark-type that stood by his side. "That certainly is a beautiful Pokémon you have there, Tobias. A Darkrai is, quite indeed, very rare, and it was able to get you right the way through Sinnoh. That's mighty impressive, if you ask me." He continued to wonder around, circling his Zoroark. "I'm going to make you a deal, Tobias. If you beat me in a battle, then I will give you my key and I will tell you everything I know."

"…And if I lose?"

"I take your key and you lose your Darkrai, and he becomes one of mine," the red-eyed man explained, pointing a finger at the opposing Dark-type whilst pulling a menacing grin.

Tobias looked down at his Darkrai, concentrating with his fixated on his beloved Pokémon. He knelt to his Pokémon's height, whispering quietly into his ear, he spoke. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Darkrai, but I want you to trust me on this one." He nodded at his Pokémon, his Darkrai respectfully understanding the will of his Trainer.

"Well…"

Tobias chuckled slightly. "The offer you've made me is not refundable. You're going to regret ever meeting me, Nightmare. The power of my Darkrai that you're about to witness will be incomparable to anything you've ever seen before!"

An overwhelming excitement flushed through the veins of Nightmare, gazing wide-eyed with his lips morphed into a malefic smile. "Right answer, Tobias! That's what I like to hear! Come and show me what you've got!"

A different kind of tension exerted from the sewers of Rosenvine City. Both Nightmare and Tobias glared at their opponents as their Pokémon took on a fighting stance, unnerving one another with their hearts set on victory.

"Darkrai, use Dark Pulse," Tobias calmly said. The Darkrai to the side of him crouched and unleashed a torrent of dark circles that fired straight at the enemy Zoroark.

"Jump and Hyper Voice!" Nightmare quickly said. Zoroark leapt in the air, completely dodging the Darkrai's attack before landing and bellowing out a vicious cry. The resulting sound shook the foundation of the sewers as bits of dust and small pieces of debris fell on top of Tobias. "Now! Night Slash!"

Zoroark dashed forwards towards the dazed Darkrai, slowly pulling his arm where a sinister blade formed before slicing the Darkrai's coat with it, throwing the Pitch Black Pokémon back into the sewer with a cry sounding from the legendary Pokémon.

"Hang in there, Darkrai," Tobias told his Pokémon, now feeling a little pressure from the tension that heated up the sewers.

"Reassuring your Pokémon is going to do much. Soon, he will be mine, along with your key."

"Don't even think about underestimating me! Darkrai, Dark Void!" Darkrai rose to his role and summoned another void of darkness, propelling it with all its energy at the Zoroark, catching onto its feet and absorbing the Pokémon in a deep sleep. "And now, the tables have turned, Nightmare. Darkrai, end it with Ice Beam."

Darkrai nodded. He held out his hands firing an asperous bolt of freezing ice at the Zoroark. Just before it made contact, the Zoroark awoke, leaping backwards into the air, dodging the attack. "Already?!"

Nightmare smiled. "Don't think just because you think you have me trapped, it means my Pokémon is out." His opponent scowled as a steaming drop of sweat fell from his brow, his skin singed. "Zoroark…"

After a short moment, the Illusion Fox Pokémon half-turned to his master, still retaining a battling posture. Nightmare took a moment to prepare himself, grinning back at his Pokémon with his blood-red eyes gleaming amidst the darkness. "It's been fun, Tobias, and I'm really glad I've met you, but you're just too dangerous. Zoroark… Soul Negator…!"

Zoroark took a deep breath, raising his arms and closing his eyes where he concentrated his power on a spark of energy. With what looked like sparks of light shooting in from all angles into the spark, the ball of energy morphed into a pitch-black portal where a haunting sound permeated.

"Soul Negator…what is that?!" Tobias shouted, stunned into position from the fright of the portal. "An illegal move?"

Nightmare smiled, wide-eyed. "I'm surprised you know. Tampering with illegal moves, have we?" he laughed. "There's not much point in me telling you about Soul Negator, Tobias. This portal is not for your Darkrai, but for you. This portal will be your grave, your demise…the end," Nightmare said.

Several ghostly arms ripped through the mysterious portal, firing their way at Tobias with a haunting groan echoing in the sewer at a nimble pace just as a turbulent wind crashed through the setting. Tobias turned around, trying to run from the ghastly arms until one of them grabbed his leg, tripping him. Before he could react, several others took hold of him, enwrapping and dragging him towards the portal.

"Darkrai!" Tobias screamed, digging his arms into the sludge to slow him down. "Darkrai! Help!"

The Darkrai dashed towards the ghastly arms, pitting his brute force against the ghostly arms that negated the damage.

Tobias was lifted off the ground, slowly being dragged into the Zoroark's portal. "I'll take that," Nightmare said, ripping Tobias' key from his neck. "Goodbye… Tobias! Rest assured you will not be forgotten!"

The ghostly arms enveloped the whole of Tobias' body, slowly dragging his struggling body that fidgeted constantly in the strong grip of the ghostly hands into the pit of darkness. "Darkai! Darkrai, help!"

After regaining his composure, Tobias' Pokémon clicked into action. Darkrai let loose a bolt of ice with a power-level on a different degree to what Darkrai usually dealt, striking the arms that held him. Immediately, Tobias ripped out of the icy grasp, running back towards his Darkrai.

"Darkrai, Dark Pulse above him!" Tobias commanded before fleeing the scene. Darkrai quickly shot a small bolt of dark energy, crashing against the roof of the sewer that sent debris crashing against the sludgy ground, blocking the way for Nightmare. The Darkrai quickly followed his Trainer, disappearing into the darkness until silence took over the sewer once more.

The Team Rocket trio, feeling fortunate to be on the side blocked by a ton of debris, stepped out of their hiding place, into the open where they gazed into the darkness at where Tobias had fled, their veins pumped with relief as well as fear. Without a second hesitation, they threw their gazes at one another, trying to cumulate the thoughts that had clogged up their minds.

"Keys to a special library…?"

"Nightmare's the name of the red-eyed man…and he works for the Order of the Kuragari?"

"And an illegal Pokémon move. Almost looked like Tobias was going to die for a moment. Just what was that thing anyway?"

* * *

**Do be sure to vote on the poll on my profile: Ash x ….? Only a few more chapters and the poll will close. I do hope you enjoyed this chapter, and do remember to review, pretty please ^_^  
**


	7. The Alliance

**Poll still open, so be sure to vote on my profile. And just to clear up any confusion, every girl listed on the poll is featured in the harem and will have their moments with Ash. I just wanted 2 or 3 to be selected per person as they may have more than one favourite etc.**

**Anyhow, be sure to review and vote on my profile. ^_^ Thanks you, and have a wonderful day.**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**Jirachi's Wish**

**.:. The Alliance .:.**

"Abomasnow, Ice Beam!"

A beam of ice summoned by the Abomasnow was just one of the many bombardments of damage that the Battle Tundra Frontier Brain – Snow King Donavon – dealt upon the nine Pokémon Trainers that pitted themselves against him.

Trapped in a cavern of awe and shock, Ash, alongside his friends, were gobsmacked by the power of the Frontier Brain.

"Hah! This was more fun that I'd anticipated!" Donavon chuckled a hearty laugh, placing a hand against his Abomasnow. "That top one-hundred place seems all too attractive, and I would've been welcome to leave you guys behind so that you can make it, but…" he paused, brushing his hand through Abomasnow's thick, snowy coat, "that's not how Abomasnow and I do things."

"He's so strong," Dawn said. Just a metre in front of her, Piplup was struggling to stay on his feet.

"I'm a Frontier Brain, young lady. It's my job to be this strong. Cold? Maybe, but necessary. But now, I think it's time we ended this, Abomasnow!"

"_Abomasnooow_!" the Dual-type roared, raising his coated arms where a silver ball of energy appeared and began to expand.

"End this, Abomasnow! Sheer Cold!"

The white Pokémon closed his eyes for a moment. Snowflakes began falling from the sky, turning the scenery in a coat of white. Although pretty and captivating, the picturesque scene soon sent the nine Pokémon Trainers back to reality when a hissing wind caught the snowflakes, summoning a whirling tornado of ice, completely enveloping the Pokémon Trainers.

"-Electivire, Thunder!"

A sudden bolt of energy pierced the icy cloak that Abomasnow summoned, completely containing the Pokémon.

"-What?!" Donavon quickly said, darting his eyesight at different areas of the sea of white in hopes of attaching his gaze to the source of the Thunder attack that left the Abomasnow a little shaky. "Drat! I can't find him!"

"Finish him with Giga Impact!" the anonymous voice called out.

Standing in the background, Ash watched as a dominating force crashed through the snowy backdrop, cumulating speed at an exponential rate before colliding with his opponent, throwing the Ice-type off its feet and rendering it unable to battle.

Donavon, just as stunned and shocked as the other Trainers, switched his vision between the Electivire and his fallen Abomasnow as a weary cry emitted from his furry mouth.

"Decent job, Electivire." A figure ambled towards his Pokémon, sporting purple hair and a cold, reclusive swagger; the hairs on Ash's arm sprung up.

"Paul…you- but why?-"

"You're lucky I was around to save your pathetic Pokémon," Paul said, not turning his attention towards the Pokémon Trainers, that, although a little tiresome and surprised, couldn't help but feel all too relieved with Paul's arrival. "Don't make me save you again… and, Ash…" he said, finally turning his attention to the worn-down Pokémon Trainer, "…this doesn't change a thing." And with his closing remark, he left; his Electivire following close behind.

"Awesome! I knew Paul would come and help us!" Barry happily said, immediately regaining his cheery side

Dawn approached Ash's side with her Piplup in her arms. "He saved us," she said, watching as the purple-haired boy disappeared into the distance. "But why?-"

"-He's up to something," Ash sternly said, his eyes stained by Paul's interference. He suspiciously glared at the setting once more, then back to Dawn. "He wouldn't save us if it meant we were out of the top one-hundred, would he?"

"Perhaps he's changed a little, Ash. Maybe this morning he was a little tense after his argument with Kenny. Perhaps he really did try to help us," Brock suggested reasonably. "Don't worry about it now, though. What matters is that we stay safe 'til we reach the top one-hundred!"

The fallen Abomasnow rose to his feet, shaky in his stride whilst his Trainer inspected the damage. "Abomasnow's in no condition to fight. Oh, man, I'm never gonna hear the end of this from the other Frontier Brains," he said, picturing their taunts and ridicules. "Should've probably expected someone would come by!" he roared.

"…Mr. Donavon, sir… what now?" Fleur timidly asked to the Frontier Brain, hiding behind her Gardevoir who, with elegance, floated over towards the Battle Tundra owner with a smile.

"Well, let's see," Donavon rose to his feet, glancing far into the distance, almost reaching the horizon, where the Ocera Coliseum rested. Upon a giant hologram, the names and pictures of the remaining Pokémon Trainers from the original one-thousand-three-hundred-and-twelve. A smile came to his face and he turned back to the nine Pokémon Trainers in front of him. "The Rosenvine City Battle Royale ends with the Rosenvine City cathedral bell chiming," he told them. "And if my eyes don't deceive me, it looks as if we won't be waiting 'til winter like I had predicted. One-hundred-and-two Pokémon Trainers are still left."

The groups' eyes widened, all looking at each other with the fervent gladness and overwhelming relief of their survival in the Rosenvine City Battle Royale. Their Pokémon looked happier, too, regaining their energy and stamina after their encounter from Paul.

Far into the distance, a rhythmic chime rang with the echoing sound spreading far across the Ocera Archipelago, each ring calling the attention of every Pokémon Trainer remaining in the Captain's game and for them to be content and relaxed. Many crawled from their hiding places where even the Frontier Brains couldn't find them, sore in their muscles as, after all, all they did in the last few hours was keep still with their Pokémon in a cramped place. The whole of Rosenvine took a massive sigh in relief, and as the sun brightened within the following moments, cheers of happiness and solace reckoned from all corners of the great city.

"We made it," Leaf sighed, falling to her knees and tightly embracing her Wigglytuff. "I guess that Paul-guy is to thank. You ever met him before, Gary?" she asked, looking up to the Magmortar Trainer.

"Nope, but I know Ash has. Well?" Gary smiled, looking back at his old friend.

"Ermm, yeah," Ash, remembering how unexpected it was that Gary appeared, hesitantly replied. "We've had a bit of a rivalry since the Sinnoh League," he admitted, briefly hiding his gaze by adjusting his cap. "Erm, excuse me, if you don't mind me asking, Leaf, but who are you?" he said, changing the subject.

Leaf smiled. "I'm Leaf-"

"This here is Leaf," Gary quickly interrupted. "She's my apprentice, and helps me with research at our soon-to-be-new lab," he proudly said. "Pretty cool, huh."

"Except it's not built yet, so we thought we'd kill time here until then," Leaf added. "And I assume you're Ash Ketchum," she said with a perky grin. "Gary wouldn't stop talking about you. He'd always go on about how you both were-"

"-Leaf!"

"What?" she reasoned, watching the embarrassed Gary give her a definable look.

Ash chuckled. "I guess I couldn't thank the both of you enough for helping us when we encountered Donavon," he said.

"It was nothing," Leaf winked, playfully patting Ash on the head with a short, cute giggle. "I guess since we did make the top one-hundred, we should celebrate! In, Ash?" she suggested.

* * *

The beckoning night arrived in what felt like only a few minutes after the Battle Royale. The burning ball of fire that somehow majestically held itself amidst the fluffiest of clouds was close to switching places with its darker counterpart as dusk was looming over the Ocera Archipelago capital. Though despite what had been expected of the grand city as to retire for the official tournament was set to begin in the coming days, what actually happened in Rosenvine City could've been described by the locals as some of the grandest parties to ever take place in the city. Crowds and crowds gathered from all the islands that made up the archipelago onto the streets of Rosenvine that night with the music booming in from the distance and the silver stars accompanying the many lights that brightened the island from above.

Dawn, Fleur and Barry all brimmed a gleaming smile at the party scene. "Just like Twinleaf Town not just a few days ago," Dawn breathed, cuddling her Piplup whilst she shook within the indefinable feel that made Rosenvine seem like such a welcoming place.

"But when you pit this one against Twinleaf, even I have to say that home seems a little outclassed. Don't you think so, too, Dawn?" Kenny said, taking a side-step closer to her. "Dawn…?"

"Err, yea, sure…" Dawn, a little despondent, lazily replied, her gaze and attention entrapped on a stuffed Piplup toy that looked too adorable to pass.

"Oh, boy! Two parties in less than a week!" Barry cheered. "C'mon, Kenny!" Immediately, he grabbed the co-ordinators arm, dragging him through the crowd with a cloud of dust following him and Kenny's eyesight no longer attached to Dawn's.

"I guess we'll take a look around, too. Catch you guys later," Gary said, walking with Leaf into the crowds where they vanished.

Walking through the crowds where all manners of joy and ways of expressing excitement were expressed, Ash, Brock, Dawn, Fleur and May squeezed their way through the myriad of party attendants, shooting glances and casting looks of awe and wonderment at the many stalls and stands, the many dancers and socialisers, the many Pokémon that brought a whole load more character to the city – certainly, Rosenvine City was the place to be tonight.

"The morning can't even compare," Brock said, casting a look back to make sure everyone had managed to squeeze through the crowds.

May and Ash, although able to catch up, were particularly distracted by the many screens that highlighted some of the most notable moments from the morning's first challenge; in particular, the moment where Paul intervened and saved them from Snow King Donavon's Abomasnow.

He frowned, slowly pulling his hat down to shadow his eyes.

"You're still bothered about Paul?" May caught on fast, playfully bumping into him. "You'll stick out like a shiny Psyduck in this crowd."

He chuckled, facing his auburn eyes in her direction. "Sorry. Just…I do wonder if I would've done the same for him," he said. "But not just that. I still wonder why he did it. Out of kindness? Please… Paul's never shown any moment of kindness towards me. I still think he's up to something, but I-"

He stopped, immediately halted by May placing a silencing finger over Ash's lips. She smiled, quietly whispering into his ear, she spoke, "I know you, Ash. Regardless of who it was, you would've done all you could to save them. But don't let that bother you right now." She faced him, her nose barely a few centimetres away from his which summoned an instant flush on pink to both the Trainers' cheeks. "Anyway, let's have some fun!"

Only a few minutes more of wondering and the sight of a familiar face came to the attention of the group.

"So this time, he's shirtless," Brock sweat dropped, clearly ignorant of the situation at hand. Wandering into what seemed like an old building, calls and cheers rattled the walls, the vibrations from the crowds shaking the foundations of the unstable building. After a closer look from the taller male of the group, his eyes were met with two shirtless men throwing fists at one another in a space no larger than a prison cell – one of the men, Captain Laurent Haller.

"C'mon, Captain! I've got fifty big ones on your name, so don't let me down!" a drunkard shouted from the side, cheering on his favourite.

"…Organised fighting…?" Dawn questioned, gaining a closer look as Laurent dodged a combo of attacks from his opponent before quickly grimacing the moment he counterattacked with a swing from his left fist into the man's jaw, completely throwing the man off balance.

"Yes! That's our Captain!"

"And he's out of there! So after ten straight wins, and sadly retiring for the night (a short amount of boos quickly following) the victor is, yet again, Captain Laurent Haller!" the referee said, holding up the Captain's arm in victory. Although not in uniform, the Captain's masculine appearance with the sweat dripping down his chiselled chest was enough to attract the attention of many females who did all they could to get a better look, and when accompanied with his flawless smile, little Fleur in the audience barely stood a chance.

"Organised fighting?" Brock said to himself, looking around the old building. "Looks like it."

He quickly bowed, modestly accepting the cheers and cries and ignoring the couple of marriage requests.

"…Captain! Captain!" a familiar voice heard above all others caught the attention of the navy-haired male who immediately wondered to who Ash and company recognised to be the Frontier Brains, Palmer and Donavon.

Before leaving the ring, he was handed a wad of notes before walking towards his co-workers. Shortly after, the five Pokémon Trainers dashed towards them.

"Ash, May, Brock, Dawn, Fleur!" Palmer greeted, rising from his seat with his arms raised in glee. "So nice to see you! And congratulations on making the top one-hundred! Very well-done. But please, take a seat."

"Evening, Palmer, Donavon, Laurent!" Brock politely greeted on behalf of the five Pokémon Trainers, nodding at Donavon, who looked strangely happy, as if completely forgetting their encounter during the first challenge. Resting on the table in front of him were seven empty pint-sized glasses; Ash and his friends immediately took the hint and caught on onto the Snow King's cheerfulness.

With a small spotlight hanging over them, the Frontier Brains sat alongside the Captain and the five Pokémon Trainers.

"Well, thanks, but how did you hear of it so soon? I thought they'd announce the top one-hundred tomorrow," May asked. "I guess it's your job to know, though."

"Ha! Donavon- who I'm sure you've met-" Palmer quickly said, holding a hand in the direction of the grey-haired Frontier Brain, "told us how you were able to sneak past him. Such an error, but I guess we can let it slide," he chuckled.

"Yeah. But …credit to… credit to –_hiccup_- Abomasnow for handling a nine, yes nine, (he held up eight fingers) versus …one f-fight," Donavon said, praising his own Pokémon with a drunk expression.

Looking round the old-building, a sense of tradition flourished through the air, with the welcoming feel of a warm, reclusive environment relaxing the people inside. Over to the other side of the building, the organised fights continued, sparking very questionable looks from the passers-by.

"If you don't mind me asking… what is this place?" Fleur asked, looking to her right to see the still shirtless Laurent.

"This place?" Laurent cheerily remarked, taking a swig from his flask that he pulled out from his jacket that he placed on the chair. "I call it my home away from home, my Shangri-La, my favourite place on the planet. Unlike the rest of Rosenvine with all this new technology, this place was built to resemble a tavern, or even a pub – you know, you only really get them in those distant regions," he explained with a feeling of gratitude. "Nothing truly calms the mind after a long, hard day like a good brawl," he added, closing his eyes.

"But the fighting… where did you learn to fight like that?" May asked, intrigued as well as feeling a little curious. "Is it part of training? Isn't it dangerous?"

Laurent opened an eye, immediately pointing it in May's direction. "Learning to fight was the first thing I learnt on this job!" he said. "Naturally, after a few years of coming down here, you pick up new techniques, not to mention the pay is very attractive. The more you win, the bigger the jackpot! It's a nice way to make money, state your authority around the city," he continued, gulping down a mouthful of the contents of his flask, "and it's something I'm good at."

"I see, but don't you get hurt?" Ash asked, leaning forwards slightly.

"Bah! When you get pitted against an eight foot giant who has only been eating eggs his whole life, then a blow from him would cause you to rethink your purpose in life," he said, and just as he finished, a slim, beautiful woman walked up to the table, folding her arms and looking a bit displeased.

"Uh. I feel a little regret agreeing to meet you here, Captain," she said.

Ash and his friends looked at the woman, gobsmacked.

"…Th-the Champion-?"

"-Cynthia!"

Cynthia modestly smiled back at the young Pokémon Trainers. "Pleasure to be reunited with you, and congratulations on making the top one-hundred," she quickly said, turning her attention back to Laurent. "And for Arceus' sake, get a shirt on, you old fool! There are woman present at the table!" she scolded, giggling a little in the process as she took a glance and smiled at the young Fleur and May. "Although I don't believe we met, have we?" she said, taking a seat between the two Frontier Brains.

"I'm May Maple from Petalburg City," May said.

"And my name's Fleur Morgan, and I come from Twinleaf Town," Fleur timidly said, shying away from the Champion after feeling a little scared.

"And it's lovely to meet you both. But I'm afraid I didn't come by to talk, but I believe we have a more important matter at hand, correct?" Cynthia said, looking at the half-naked Laurent who never truly obliged to the Champion's request.

"Ah, yes. I'll give you a briefing first," the Captains began, leaning forward and looking left and right for any eavesdroppers, but it turns out that the rest of the people were too interested in the next fight. "Cynthia here has joined our ranks in finding the keys to the Ocera Library," he said, feeling rather accomplished.

Dawn in particular gasped. "You're going to help us?" she said, seeming all too happy. "That's great!"

Cynthia smiled back at the blue-haired girl. "That's so. The Captain explained to me and the rest of the Frontier Brains about the Ocera Library, and I feel it my duty as the Champion of Sinnoh to make sure the Ocera Library does not get entered. There's that…and…"

She took a deep breath, casting her vision left and right before pulling a thinning piece of string from behind her neck. At the end of the string was a blackened, strangely shaped key that sent shivers through the spines of those at the table.

"You're a Key-holder…?" Ash finally said, mustering up the energy to speak. "But you're… you're the Champion-"

"The Champion?" she smirked, playfully patting Ash on the head. "Does that not entitle me to keep secrets? But I'm sure you're wondering how I came across this key. All I can tell you is that it's passed down my family for so long that I can hardly remember. Its use and value was… always a mystery to me, until now," she explained, looking with full seriousness at the group in front of her.

"She's going to help us find them," Laurent said. "I regret to say that we were unable to find anything during the Battle Royale, but there's always the coming days to find things out. What does bother me is the green Pokémon and the man talking to him… it's all_ so _confusing."

"Relax a little, Laurent," Cynthia said to the man, calming him a little. "All in good time, I'm sure of it. Oh, and there's also something else I should tell the five of you," the Champion said, facing her attention to the younger Pokémon Trainers at the table. She reached into her pocket where she pulled out five very neatly decorated envelopes, sealed with a cute picture of the King's Jirachi. "Those are invitations to an event called the 'Top One-Hundred Club'. It'll be a formal event held tomorrow night at the King's Palace. Naturally, I'd only expect every one of the winners of today's challenge to show up," she said with a smile.

"We'll remember. Thank you," Ash replied above the others. "

* * *

That night went on well into the early hours of the following morning, only to be interrupted by the occasional loss of balance by Donavon who continued to drink heartily even at that time. By that point, Fleur was fast asleep leaning against May's shoulder and Donavon was on his fourteenth pint and his words now turned to slurs.

"I think it's about time that we retired for the night," Laurent sensibly said. "Palmer, are you-"

"-Just a sec, Captain," Palmer replied, not taking his gaze off Donavon. "Just four more pints and he gets the whole thing for free. You can do this, Donavon!"

"Ha-la-bleur-fa –_hiccup-_," Donavon slurred, his words now beyond comprehension.

"Man, he took that loss pretty hard," Laurent remarked, lifting the sleeping Fleur into his arms. "Don't think I'll be seeing him for a few days."

"If you don't mind, Laurent," Cynthia began, rising from her seat, "I'd like to accompany Ash and Dawn."

"Very well. Goodnight, you guys," Laurent said, and he left once everyone had said their farewells.

Despite the late hour, there were still many places in Rosenvine City that were still open, blaring loud music and flashing lights. Cynthia walked the streets alongside Ash and Dawn, the duo feeling a little confused about their purpose.

"Erm, Cynthia, may I ask?" Ash said, looking up at the Champion. "What are we still doing here?"

Cynthia merely smiled at the raven-haired Pokémon Trainer. Piplup that rested in Dawn's arms was within a deep sleep, recovering energy from the afternoon's games. Pikachu was close to following his Sinnoh friend, fighting the will to fall asleep, occasionally letting out a spark of energy.

Upon a few more minutes of walking and silence with Dawn and Ash exchanging nervous glances, the trio found themselves strolling in the direction of the south-east of Rosenvine City – an area that got increasingly loud the further the trio went.

"Weaville, Night Slash-!"

A loud cheer reckoned from just around the corner as both Ash and Dawn dashed to see what was going on. Upon entering the street, their eyes were met with what seemed like a Pokémon battle held in the streets, surrounded by buzzing Pokémon fans that cheered the Weaville in particular on as he valiantly fought against his opponent's Clefairy.

"And she's outta there! Weaville is just too strong when pitted against Clefairy. Next match coming up in just a few m-"

"Well, Ash, Dawn, what do you think?" Cynthia said, leaning her head in between Ash's and Dawn's. "The next part of the tournament begins in a few days, so some streets in Rosenvine are holding Pokémon battles, just to kill the time," she explained.

Ash, after recovering from being stunned, looked back in Cynthia then back to the many Pokémon fans cheering their hearts out at the Weaville that punched the air with victory alongside his Trainer – an individual who was just as happy.

"Nice, isn't it, Ash…" Dawn softly said. "To think even after half of them were eliminated in the Rosenvine City Battle Royale, many of them still stay for the atmosphere." She smiled, facing Ash with a playful bump against his shoulder.

"Yea…" Ash blissfully said, feeling a smile crawl onto his face.

Cynthia stood up straight after a short moment, looking through the myriad of people that held the street. "Say, I've got someone to meet right about now. If I don't see you, then the Top One-Hundred Club will be the next time we meet."

The duo nodded at their Sinnoh friend, calling out in unison, "Of course! Take care!" And with their departing words, Cynthia vanished into the crowds.

Carefully shuffling herself amidst the myriad of Pokémon Trainers, Cynthia ignored the calls for autographs or photos, but instead, she took a sudden right turn into a side-alley. Turning around to make sure she wasn't followed, she faced deep into the darkness where a figure stood waiting for the Champion.

"Cynthia, about time," the male voice replied. The figure took a step forward where he was basked within the light. Cynthia nodded at the male, recognising them to be Tobias. "About thirty minutes late."

"Tobias," Cynthia greeted, choosing to ignore her own tardiness and entering the side-alley to greet the Pokémon Trainer who stood to the side of his Darkrai, who was actually quite hard to spot amidst the darkness. "I guess I should congratulate you on making the Top One-Hundred, but you look a bit beaten up."

Tobias pulled down his sleeve, revealing the full extent of the damage that was dealt upon him by Nightmare during the Rosenvine City Battle Royale. Both his arms were bandaged and a small cut mark was visible on his cheek. "…I'm no longer a Key-Holder, Cynthia."

Cynthia took a step back, holding her hand against her mouth. "I can't say I'm sorry to hear that, because I'm glad. There's less work for me in destroying the keys. Just what happened, anyway?"

Tobias smirked. He did explain all he could remember from his encounter with Nightmare – the Zoroark, his master, and the fact that he himself is a Key-Holder.

Cynthia only smiled. "I do thank you for the information, Tobias. Makes me kind of glad that we agreed to tell all we knew about the Keys to one another, but now that you're out of the running, I guess-"

"Oh, yeah?" Tobias interrupted, a little impatiently. "And what makes you say that?"

The Champion smirked. "Because you have only two choices from here; take my key, or go back to that Nightmare guy and take his. From the look of your arms, I doubt you could do either. And this Nightmare guy that you mentioned, I don't suppose he's after what you're after, is he?"

"He wasn't after the Pokémon that's kept in the Ocera Library, unlike you or me-"

"-Excuse me?" Cynthia interrupted, facing the Darkrai Trainer looking genuinely infuriated. "We both have opposite intentions. As you wish to attain the Pokémon, my aim is to keep it as far away from you as possible, and if that so happens to fail, then I will destroy it myself," she replied, changing her expression into an innocent smile.

Tobias smirked. "I didn't know ending the lives of Pokémon were your thing, Cynthia. What's it for, anyway? What harm is going to arise if that Pokémon becomes one of mine? Hmm?" he questioned, stroking the black coat of his Darkrai.

Cynthia paused for a moment. Facing her back against Tobias, she giggled. "We both know the same amount about that Pokémon in the vault – the only one of its kind, extremely powerful and a freak of nature – those are the reasons I cannot allow you to take hold of that Pokémon, Tobias," she said.

Tobias smiled. For the first time that day, he felt somewhat powerful. "I think I understand now, Cynthia. It's all about being the Champion, isn't it?" he said.

Cynthia nodded. "You're good, Tobias, but you're not the best. I can't let you get that Pokémon, Tobias, or else we'd be changing titles. I can't let that happen."

"Then why tell me all this?" Tobias asked.

Slowly, the Champion turned around, her blonde hair swaying with the momentum on her twirl; she grinned. "You're out of keys which is the only reason I have for not taking you out right now. Dare to attempt to go back to regaining the keys, finding the keys or asking myself or anyone else about the keys… and my Garchomp will end you," she viciously said, her eyes blackening and her lips morphing into a frown. "I told you all this as a warning. Squashing cockroaches will only dirty my boots, so don't get in my way." She turned away, half-turning in his direction. "The Ocera Library is far out of your grasp now, so give up. You have been warned, Tobias. Consider re-joining the race and you will regret it."

Immediately, she departed. Tobias couldn't help but stare at her, hoping to somehow glare her to stone, but to no avail. He fell to his knees, placing an injured hand against his shivering eye. "Nerve…" he whispered, barely audible to his Darkrai, his voice shivering and shaking. "So she's willing to do all this just so she can protect her precious title as 'Champion'…? What nerve…"

He rose, facing the exit where Cynthia left. _She thinks she can intimidate me into silence?! that she can bully me into giving up?! Careless, Cynthia. Very careless, indeed...  
_


End file.
